The Prompter Isolation
by lemonz and limez
Summary: A collection of Shamy prompts and one-shots.
1. The Baby Proclamation

**A/N: Hello there. I began to work on my WIPs and then got the worst cold. It may or may not have sucked my creativity out of me. So, to try and gain inspiration I asked the tumblr fandom for some prompts and they did not hold back. So, anything posted here is based on a prompt that either tumblr or myself came up with. Thank you so much for reading in advance. **

_Prompt: After Sheldon and Amy get back from Sweden, they decide to start trying for a baby. _

* * *

Amy wanted a baby.

She also knew that Sheldon wanted one. However, the subject had not been brought up again since the day they watched Howard and Bernadette's children. Even then, the matter was left on a somewhat mysterious note, with Sheldon mentioning his 15 children idea again and leaving it at that.

It wasn't that Amy was opposed to having lots of children, but 15? That was too many. She knew that they would find a way to compromise, but she did not know how to broach the subject again. They had just recently got back from Sweden after receiving their Nobles, and they were still trying to settle back into a regular routine. Plus with Leonard and Penny's baby on the way, Amy didn't want to detract any attention from them.

But she wanted a baby.

It was one of those rare days where they had the opportunity to spend the day alone in their apartment. Sheldon doing god knows what on his computer and Amy treating herself to a relaxing bath. She figured that she could broach the subject during dinner, and she had practiced her speech multiple times in her head. However, finding it in herself to actually bring it up would be the hard part.

She pulled her hair into a half ponytail as she walked into the living room. She found Sheldon in the same place she left him almost two hours ago when she retreated to the bathroom. On the couch with his computer.

At first, she thought he was playing one of those online video games with his friends, but the way that his shoulder's seemed stiff clued her into the fact that he was doing something else.

"Hey," Amy softly greeted, snaking her arms around her husband's shoulders, placing a gentle kiss to his cheek as she did so. With her chin finding it's home near the crook of his neck, he was able to get a glance as to what he was doing on his laptop. Ikea?

"Are you shopping?" She asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

He nodded. "Yes, I need to find a new closet organizer," he said, clicking on something he already saved to his bag. "What do you think of this one?"

He lifted up the screen so she could get a better look. Unlocking her arms from around him, she took the laptop from his hands. "Why are you looking for a new closet organizer? What's wrong with the one we have now?"

Sheldon gave her an incredulous look, as though the answer was obvious. "Amy, before you changed your wardrobe it consisted mainly of skirts, blouses, and cardigans; shorter items if you will. Then you went out and bought all these dresses that are much longer than anything you owned before. I don't know if you have checked recently, but some of them are dragging on the floor, and that is just unacceptable."

Amy's mouth hung open as she tried to process what he just said. However, when she caught a glance at his, almost concerned face, she softened. "Oh, Sheldon, it's very sweet of you to look for this, but I really don't mind, honestly," she assured him, handing back his laptop and joining him on the couch.

"But I do!" he exclaimed, rubbing at his temples. "It bothers me, Amy."

Amy thought about it for a second. It would be nice not to clean of lint from dresses she hung on the bottom. Or to iron dresses that wrinkled because there was no room to accommodate its length. She conceded. "Ok, if it's bothering you that much, I think it would be good to get a new system."

Sheldon perked up, ecstatic that she was on board. Amy loved watching the way his eyes sparkled with excitement. "Great! Let me tell you about the one I picked out. Don't worry I've measured and everything…"

Amy smiled while Sheldon explained to her all the great things about the new closet. She still couldn't figure out why things like this made him so happy, but nevertheless, it was one of his many idiosyncrasies that she loved.

She never did bring up the topic of babies until two weeks later when they were setting up the new closet.

Trying to find an appropriate time to bring up the topic was proving to be more difficult than she thought. Every time she tried, she either got too nervous, or there was something else he wanted to talk about. However, never once did Sheldon hear the word 'baby' out of her mouth. It was beginning to frustrate her.

Sheldon was handing her various articles of clothing while she set them neatly onto her bed. Cleaning out the closet was proving to be more of a task than she thought. However, they had worked themselves into a routine, finding their rhythm. There was nothing but silence between them as they worked. Sheldon didn't even need to turn his body to hand her the various dressed he pulled from the closet.

The amiable silence between them was something that Amy knew he loved; however, it was starting to burn a hole in her skull. The topic that had been on the tip of her tongue for weeks was beginning to bite at her.

Amy knew there would be no better opportunity.

"Sheldon, I think we should have a baby."

What happened next shocked Amy. Of all the scenarios she came up with in her head, his reaction did not fit any of them. He didn't yell, he didn't freak out, he didn't leave, he didn't just pass out. In fact, his reaction was very demure, he was calm as he rotated his torso slightly to look at her. There was no crazed look in his eye that showed her any contempt. His hands seemed steady as he handed her more dresses. There was no lecture, all that came out of his mouth was a simple:

"Ok."

And although his arm was outstretched with yet another of her garments, she did not move to take it. Her mouth hung open in shock, and she gawked at her husband's calm demeanor.

Sheldon's brow furrowed, and he gazed quizzically at his wife. "Amy?"

His voice seemed to snap her out of her stupor. "Sorry," she said, taking the dress from his outstretched hand. "That was not the reaction I was expecting."

He moved back to the closet. "What reaction were you expecting?" He questioned, handing her the last of the clothes.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess I figured you would freak out and leave or something."

Amy saw a certain softness behind Sheldon's eyes that warmed her heart. It was the side of Sheldon that no one else got to see; the side of him that only she had privileges to. "You know I want to have children with you, why would you assume I would freak out at the notion of them?"

Again she shrugged. "In all the years we've been together, we've never really excelled in the serious discussion department. And the only other time we have talked about having children was when we helped Howard with babysitting. Even then," she paused, averting her eyes from him to look at the clothes neatly sprawled across the bed. "I didn't think you were taking it that seriously.

Hearing him sigh, she felt him move closer to her back, wrapping his arms around her midsection and resting his head on her shoulder. 'I'm sorry I made you feel that way. You should never be afraid to come talk to me, you know that, right?"

"I know."

"And I do want to have children with you. Lots of them. If 15 is too many for you, then I'm sure we can find a suitable number for both of us." His arms tightened around her, and his lips moved closer to her ear. "How does 12 sound?"

By the tone of his voice, she knew he was joking. She giggled at his playfulness and turned in his arms to face him. While his eyes still held their playful glint, she could tell he had gone serious again.

"Amy, I do want a family with you, I have for a long time," he said. "And I do think that now is the perfect time to start trying, I've actually thought of talking to you about it, but things kept getting in the way."

He'd been thinking about it too? It was so strange to her that they were both having the same struggle. However, it made her all too happy. He wanted it, it was real, they were going to try and have a family.

"So, we're going to do this then?" She asked. "We're going to try and have a baby."

His hands that had settled on her hips squeezed them slightly. "If we're both in agreement, yes."

She wanted a baby.

"We're both in agreement, my love."

He flashed her a gentle smile, placing an equally gentle kiss upon her lips. He didn't pull away like she thought he would, in fact, he lingered for a while. His mouth dancing perfectly with her own. His hand caressed her back in the most tender of touches before it buried itself into the back of her short hair.

Deciding to go along with him, she tangled her own arms around his neck. The loving and gentle kiss was turning into one of passion a lust, something that happened many a time for the couple after their nuptials. Sheldon was desperate to get her as close to him as possible, but no matter what he did, it never seemed to be enough. He pried her mouth open with his own, still not close enough. He pulled her so close to his own body that it was almost painful for both of them, yet, not close enough.

He suddenly broke away from her, leaving her rooted in the place where he left her. She was panting as she watched him begin to hang all the clothes back into the closet. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm putting the clothes back," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it was, but she was still confused. He noticed this and clarified it for her. "We're going to need the bed, sweetheart, if you help me it will go faster."

It should have been clear to her before what he was doing. So, when he did explain it, she mentally slapped herself for not realizing it before. However, that was quickly forgotten when the anticipation caught up to her.

Baby-making was starting early.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! If you have a prompt or one-shot idea do not hesitate to PM me. Or if you'd rather be anonymous, you can send it to me via Tumblr lemonz-and-limez**


	2. The Night Terror

_Prompt: Sheldon helps Amy with a night terror_

Amy hadn't had a night terror since before they got married. Even then it was a rare occurrence when it did happen, and Sheldon could usually pick up on clues throughout the day that would hit at one later on. He was able to deduce her body language, attitude, and overall mood throughout the day to decide what kind of night it would be. High levels of stress at work or days leading up to her 'lady time' usually was an indicator of an impending terror.

However, that night, there had been no clues. No hints that Sheldon would wake to the bed shaking because she was quivering. No signs from her day at work or the calendar that Sheldon would end up having a bruise on his jaw because she punched him so hard.

It started with the quivering. Sheldon had thought she was cold; however, when he opened his eyes to look at her, he could see something different in the way she shook. It was a constant vibration, strong enough to rattle the bed, unlike the chills which have more of a staccato effect.

He next lifted his head off his own pillow to look down at her. She was not turned away from him, he could perfectly see her face that was trying to burrow its way into the flannel pillowcase. There was also pain there. Her eyebrows drawn so tightly it made deep creases in her skin. Her bottom lip trembling as a few tears slid from her eyes. Her neck straining, revealing to him the tendons in her throat.

And despite his lack of warning, Sheldon knew what was going to happen next. Her hands clenched into a fist in front of her and let out a scream. Her arms flailed about punching the air, a few swings making contact with his chest, jaw, and other extremities. One punch, in particular, made contact with his jawbone just hard enough for him to topple back slightly. He held a hand to his joint as he observed her. Her eyes were open, but he could tell that she was not aware of what was happening.

He knew better than to intervene, in fact, he knew it was dangerous to do so. Alternately, he dodged her blows and moved his hand gently to her hair. He intertwined his fingers into the long tresses of brown hair. Shushing her and smoothly running his digits along her scalp, her scream turned into sobs.

Her eyes closed again as tears rolled down her cheeks. The beating of her arms all but stopped as she brought them back to her chest, clutching them tightly to her chest. Her weeping was heavy; her breaths taking on no particular pattern as she tried to find the peacefulness of sleep again.

Now that she was no longer fighting him, he took the opportunity to move in close to her. His hand coming to rest on her hip while the other remained stationary in her hair. It was enough physical contact where he knew it would bring her comfort, but not enough to make her feel like she was restrained.

"You're ok, Amy, it's ok," he comforted as her tears began to subside.

He repeated that phrase and similar ones as she came down from the episode. Her sobs turned into small cries, which then turned into sniffles. The way she snuggled closer to him, melting under his touch, told him that it was over. She'd gotten through it.

While she remained asleep, completely unaware of everything that took place, he could not find it in himself to back to sleep. He had to watch her, make sure she was safe; protect her from whatever monstrosity attacks her. So, he stayed, and watched, and protected until 6 am when he quietly slipped out bed to open his weekend with some Doctor Who. However, that morning, he deviated from his routine and left the door open 3 inches.

She never did wake up, at least not until 9:00 when her alarm went off as it did every Saturday morning. Even then, she did not emerge from the bedroom until 15 minutes later.

She mumbled good morning and moved to the fridge for a bottle of water. "How'd you sleep?" She asked before taking a swig.

He turned his head to look at her while also bringing up his hand as though to massage his neck even though he was really hiding the bruise she had left on his jaw. "I slept fine, you?"

She grimaced as she moved. "I think I stayed in one position for too long, I'm really sore this morning."

Turning his head back to the TV, he ran his fingers gently over the purple skin. Sore was one way to put it. The discoloration on his face was not the only one left behind. There were other smaller ones on his chest and arms. But those would go away within a day, whereas the one on his jaw would take longer. She had really managed to get him when her fist made contact with the bone there. How he hadn't made a sound loud enough to wake her up, he would never know.

"You ok?" Amy asked, now standing right next to the blue couch.

He snapped his eyes back to hers, his hand not following his face. It had only been a second before he snapped back and covered the contusion, but she had caught it. Of course she had.

Her eyes widened, and she rushed next to him. "What happened?" She asked, reaching out to gently touch his face. The skin was still tender and painful to the touch. He hadn't meant to, but he jerked away from her loving caress.

"It's nothing, really," he assured her moving away from her slightly, but when he saw the hurt and worry beneath her emerald eyes, he retreated closer to her. "It'll go away in a few days, it's ok."

"That's not what I'm worried about, how did it happen?"

He sighed and looked down to her knuckles. There little evidence to suggest the panic of just a few hours prior. In fact, if he hadn't known what to look for, he would have just ignored the slight discoloration of her hand as her natural pigment. He reached down and took her hand in his own. His thumb running over the red spots he knew did not belong. The knuckle that so clearly was the one that provided him with the shiner on his jaw.

When he met her eyes once more, he could tell she had grief. Her face contorted much like it had before… before when it was the eye of the storm.

"You had a night terror that's all, it's really nothing to worry about," he said, trying to ease her troubled mind.

It didn't. The anguish on her face deepened, as though she was upset that she had done it to him and not a third party. It was worse to her that he did it, she hurt him, causing him pain.

"I did this to you?" It was a soft utterance, delicate almost, but still incredulous.

Sheldon nodded. "But, Amy, please, _please_," he begged, urgent to resolve what he believed to be a non-issue. "It is ok. You didn't do it on purpose."

"But I hurt you."

"You did, yes," he agreed but continued on. "But you didn't mean to. It was a night terror; you had no control."

"But-"

"No," he cut her off. "There is no issue here, Amy. I'm not worried, distressed, or angry that you threw a few punches my way. You were not aware of what was happening, and to me, that automatically curbs any reservations I might have had."

Pulling her hand away from his, she reached up again. This time touching the skin around the purple blotch. "Does it still hurt?"

"Only when you put pressure on it," he said, making a face when she put the gentlest pressure on the surface of his bruise. "Or just when you touch it, I guess," he shrugged, pulling her hand away.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as he kissed the pads of her fingers.

"No need," he waved off. "But it helps, I'll forgive you anyway," he said with a smile he reserved only for her.

She smiled back. "Thank you."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Sheldon gestured to the TV where he already had another episode of Doctor Who queued up. "I was about to start another episode, care to join me?"

She snuggled up to his side, much like the way she had when she was upset over the dress shopping. However, this time, Sheldon wasn't nearly as ridged and welcomed her embrace. He let his hand run through her hair in the same way it had hours earlier. He knew it then, they'd be fine.

"Of course I would."

A/N: Thank you so much for reading :)


	3. The Post Nobel Syndrome

_Prompt: Sheldon and Amy being cute after they win the Nobel... with sprinkles of angst. _

When Sheldon was quiet, it was because he was thinking about something or he was upset and needed to process. Often it was both, and Amy could tell that it was. His leg was bouncing furiously against her own. His eyes were firmly fixed on the table in front of him. His eyebrows were drawn into a tight knot, deep creases running in his forehead. His upper teeth were alternating between biting the left and right side of his lower lip. While their friends conversed around them, Amy kept her eyes focused on her husband.

He'd been quiet since the ceremony ended and though the first course of their meal. Now, as they waited on the main dish, Amy felt it necessary to cut through whatever thoughts plagued Sheldon's mind.

She gently rested her hand on his thumping knee, her touch causing the movement to cease immediately. "Hey, you doing ok?" She asked, low enough for him to hear her, but not loud enough to disrupt the conversation at their table.

Their eyes met in a wordless gaze. His eyes told her, 'no, nothing is ok.' But his words said, "Yes, everything is fine." He gave her a tight-lipped smile and rested his hand over hers, his fingers intertwining with her own.

Before Amy could say something, the waiter brought the main course and lulled the conversation between their friends. While they ate, Amy joined in on whatever topic their friends were discussing, but kept a close eye on Sheldon. Sheldon, who only responded when spoken to.

On some level, Amy was annoyed with him; however, she couldn't stop thinking about the day and what it meant to him. He had been waiting for that day his entire life when he would finally have that gold medal hanging from his neck. A sign that he changed the world. However, his whole life, he thought that the recognition would only belong to him. That he would need, nor have to acknowledge that anyone else helped him along the way. So, when he started pushing away the people who stood by him, he was shocked when they willingly let themselves be pushed. He thought it belonged to him and him only. But no, it belonged to their friends as well. Amy recognized that long before Sheldon did. Sheldon thought it was _their honor to_watch _him receive the_Nobel. That was far from the truth. In reality, it should have been Sheldon who was honored to have them there. And they were tired of him not being able to see it.

And perhaps Amy had been too harsh with her words. Maybe she could have said it gentler while remaining firm. However, her frustration with him had reached its boiling point, and, honey, the pot was full. Unfortunately, her approach was the only way to make him understand how much he had hurt their friends. Were her hurtful? Yes. But were they untrue? No. Sheldon's naivety about social cues and other people's feelings had improved much over the years. However, he was still ungraceful, and for the most part, had a difficult time understanding others, including her. People tolerated him because they knew that he didn't know any better. As much as she hated to admit it, she was guilty of it at times too. No matter how imperfect he was, there were things he did that pissed her off to no extent. But she loved him enough to tolerate those actions.

When she spoke those words to him, she had not intended for them to hurt him. That would be like returning an eye for an eye, something Amy never really believed in. Her intent with yelling at him was to help him see that he _did play some_part in why their friends were abandoning them. And while her outburst seemed to accomplish that, it also struck a nerve in Sheldon that was causing him immense discomfort. For which part, she did not know.

She needed to talk to him; figure out which part exactly he was upset about.

As the table finished up the main course, she glanced around to make sure nobody was looking. Confident that no one was paying them any mind, she reached for his hand and pulled him with her away from the table. With him following her in tow, she briskly navigated the twists and turns of the banquet in City Hall. The couple's abrupt exit caught the attention of a few other guests, but as a whole, their departure was mostly ignored.

She pulled him into a more secluded area of the building. Past the bathrooms down the hall next to a utility closet. She stopped next to the door and looked around to make sure nobody had followed them.

"Are you ok?" She asked once confirmed their solitude. "You've been quiet all evening."

Amy watched the gears turn in her husband's brain. He wouldn't make eye contact with her, something he only did when something was troubling him. He focused keenly on something behind her, just past her head. His eyes shifted in their sockets, panicking, looking for an answer he didn't honestly know the answer to. He went with a safe response and mumbled, "I don't know."

She sighed at his response. Neither confirming nor denying. "Was it something that Leonard said? That I said?" She pried, mentally slapping herself for the stupidity of her questioning.

He tightly shook his head, but she didn't believe him. She could see the way his hand trembled as his fingers traced the Nobel hanging from his neck.

Right as she was about to pry once more, he interrupted her with a question that nearly shattered her heart. "Do you only tolerate me?"

There were only a couple feet between them, but Amy rushed to close the gap. "No, sweetheart, no!" she assured him, taking his face in her hands. "There are things you do that annoy me, sure, but I love you enough to look past those things."

"But there are things that you only tolerate?"

She nodded. "Of course, with any person, you love, there are things you simply must tolerate, but you do it because you love them." Amy reached down and took his hands in hers, running her thumb over his knuckles.

"Our friends?" He questioned, keeping his head low. "Do you think they only ever tolerate me? Am I that unbearable?"

"No!" She exclaimed softly, tightening her grip on his hands. "Why do you think they stayed, Sheldon? Sure you were an ass earlier," she gave him a soft smile to let him know she was only joking. "But they stayed because they love you."

Sheldon still didn't look convinced. She hated this look on him. No matter how arrogant he could be at times, he had insecurities that ran deep; things that could be brought up in just a few words. He had never let any of their friends see his diffidence, only her, and she'd heard enough about what he's thinking to know how to fix the situation.

"I don't like the way you tap your fingers together when you're irritated," she blurted out.

Sheldon's face contorted in confusion. "Amy, what?"

"Or the way you don't always take my interests seriously. I hate that." She paused. "But I love the way you always kiss my forehead in the morning. I love that you always let me use the bathroom first when we wake up, even though I know you rather would."

"Amy, what are you doing?"

"I like that you'll give me a foot massage if I've had a long day. I like that sometimes you want to be the little spoon. I like that you insist on holding my hand after we make love." After every compliment, Amy took a step closer to him, sliding her hands up his shoulders. "Sheldon, sweetheart, the list of tiny things you do for me is astronomical. All those little things blot out the smaller annoyances. Do you understand?"

Sheldon nodded.

"Good," she nearly whispered, running her hands down his chest, smoothing out the wrinkles in his coat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you earlier…" she apologized, her voice trailing off.

Sheldon took a step back from her. "I'm sorry too. If I hadn't been acting like a child in the first place, you wouldn't have had to yell at me."

Amy gave him a gentle smile, mirroring the one she gave him when they got married. "I love you."

"I love you, too, but I think if we don't go back out soon, our friends will send out a search party," Sheldon joked, moving out of their small nook; however, he could see a glint spark in his wife's eyes. Vixen.

She moved her fingers to trace the golden medal, still hanging from his neck. "Let them search," she said in a low voice, grabbing the cords of the Nobel and pulling him to her. Her lips immediately sought his, and they attached as if the other was oxygen. Amy's hands found the hair at the base of his neck and tangled her fingers into it. She felt his lips vibrate with the soft moan he let out.

Together their mouths danced in fiery pleasure, and much to Amy's surprise, Sheldon was going along with it. Less than fifty feet away was a dining hall that occupied the King of Sweden, plus his family, and some of the most respected people in the world. All were wearing the same gold medal with a purple cord that she tightly held onto while she let her husband drown her with kisses.

Suddenly, Sheldon backed her further into their tiny niche and pinned her against the door of the utility closet. It wasn't forceful, but it was rough enough for Amy to tear away from the kiss immediately. "Wait," she said in a breathy voice. Sheldon looked wordily down at her, also trying to catch his breath.

"I'm ok," she assured him. "You just caught me off guard, that's all." She gripped at her stomach to try and calm it down along with her animated breathing.

After a few moments, she was able to steady her breathing. However, her hand remained clutched to her stomach, and for a brief moment, she hoped Sheldon couldn't see the panic behind her eyes.

But he did.

"You ok now?" He asked softly, his pale blue eyes searching for an answer.

"Of course," she replied.

The two stayed quiet for a moment, not quite sure what to say to each other. "Umm, maybe we should…" Amy stammered. "Maybe we should head back."

What Sheldon said next shocked her. "To our hotel room, yeah." Amy's eyes widened at him almost comically to which he chuckled. Slowly he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a one on one celebration. What about you, my dear?"

All she could do was shudder against his breath.

"I'll take that as a yes?" He asked as he pulled away and slowly began to back out of their little nook.

"Oh, most defiantly," she muttered, gleefully following him as they stealthily moved back into the dining hall.

Thankfully, the main entrance of the building was not far from where the restrooms were located. All they needed to do was exit the hall leading to the bathrooms and make a right, which would land them almost immediately in the coatroom. However, there were at least twenty feet between the two open doorways, and there were many tables lined up in the short distance. Amy hoped that if they were quick and quiet enough that nobody would pay mind to their early departure.

As the two of them walked carefully along the wall, side by side, they managed to not catch anybody's attention.

"Dr. Cooper, Dr. Fowler!" Someone exclaimed in a heavy Russian accent right as they made it to the front of the main lobby.

Amy turned her head to see another laureate coming at them with open arms. She immediately recognized him. Dr. Sokolov. A Russian scientist who won his Nobel in chemistry. Sheldon had told her about him, and surprisingly, he was one of the few people who Sheldon didn't talk down.

Amy wasn't intimidated as the older scientist shuffled toward them. He was at least twice Sheldon's age, but that didn't stop the glee from spreading across his face as he came to a stop in front of them.

"Dr. Fowler, Dr. Cooper, it is so nice to meet you!" Dr. Sokolov rejoiced as he enveloped her in a hug. When he moved to shake Sheldon's hand, her husband accepted gracefully. However, after the Russian doctor turned back to her, she could see him stealthily grab the bottle of Purel hidden in his inner coat pocket.

"After I read your work on Super Asymmetry, I just knew you two would win it," he chuckled, looking like a five-year-old in a candy shop. "I would love to discuss your discovery, if you have time, of course."

Just as Amy was about to interject, Sheldon spoke up for her. "I'm sorry, Dr. Sokolov, but we're just heading out." The older man's shoulder sunk defeatedly. "But, we would love to discuss it with you tomorrow at the Palace."

"It's a date, Dr. Cooper," Dr, Sokolov joked making Sheldon, surprisingly, chuckle as well. "You two have a great night."

And with that the Dr. departed from them, missing Sheldon's mumbled reply. "Oh, we're going to have a _fantastic night_."

* * *

They returned to their hotel room fully adorned with heavy winter coats and their Nobles. As exciting as the evening was for them, they couldn't be happier to be back in their suite.

Sheldon helped his wife out of her coat before he shrugged off his own. He neatly folded the articles of clothing over the couch back; careful not to wrinkle them.

Amy gulped as he turned back to her, his eyes full of longing, full of love. It was a look she had seen on him before. The night they first slept together. Their engagement. Their wedding day. His eyes, on every occasion, held such power over her, they never failed to make her weak in the knees.

His hand cupped her cheek when he came closer to her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention immediately, something that did not go unnoticed by him. As he moved his hand down, his fingers gently caressed the tender skin of her neck. His thumb pressed gently against the hollow between her neck and clavicle, a place Sheldon knew would make her body shudder. It did, but he did not back down. He tickled the feathered sleeves of her dress before traveling down her arm. His light, barely there, touches were so affectionate, so pure, that Amy had to close her eyes from the emotion behind it.

He finally landed on the small of her back and pulled her body flush with his. Their medals clinking together at the contact. Using his free hand, he intertwined the fingers of his left with her right. It was so intimate, Amy almost forgot that they were in the same position they danced their first song together.

Sheldon knew this as well; he'd planned it that way. Before either could say a word, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed play on the song that he queued up in the limo. Haphazardly dropping his phone onto the couch, he took her hand once more.

They hadn't stayed long enough to enjoy slow dancing at the banquet, something Sheldon knew that Amy wanted to do with him. So, it warmed her heart when Sheldon began to sway with the music. Even though she would have enjoyed the banquet dance, there was something about this that made it all the more personal. Sophisticated. Intimate.

The way that Sheldon moved so perfectly with the tempo, gracefully guiding her through the steps, taking the lead. How he let her prop her head under his chin and how he buried his nose in her hair.

They worked together like a well-oiled machine, not once slipping up or stepping on each other's toes, a contrast to how it had been at their wedding. Amy listened to her husband's heartbeat against his chest, laughing internally as it seemed to sync with the beat of the music. Sheldon took in his wife's aroma, bathing in the cherry scent of her shampoo.

They stayed like in one position for the entirety of the song. Too wrapped up in each other to break the embrace. And even as the song drew to its conclusion, they continued to rock in their embrace, not daring to break the connection they had formed together.

Sheldon did end up breaking the silence with and "I love you" mumbled softly into her hair.

Reluctantly, Amy pulled her head away from his chest, immediately missing its warmth as she did so. Yet, the tenderness she saw in his eyes quickly replaced the lack of literal body heat. "I love you more," she teased, flashing him a small smile.

Sheldon shook his head no, but his mirrored smile gave it away. "That's not possible," he said, softly, as he leaned down to kiss her.

Unlike their kiss from earlier in their corner, this one was gentle and soft. Their lips moved together as though they'd done so their whole life. He brought a hand to gently cradle her face; a loving gesture that made her give a soft mewl in appreciation. And, oh, how he loved the small noises from her. His body reacted immediately. Trying to pull her even closer to him; squeezing her, making breathing a task.

She hated doing it, but she had to pull away, he was holding her too tight.

"Sorry," she apologized almost immediately. "I couldn't breathe."

He nodded his head. "I understand," he said, but then paused. "Would you like to move this elsewhere?" He asked, not crudely, but rather in the quiet way he always asked for consent.

She wanted to, a lot, but there was something she needed to do first. She wanted to do it before the ceremony, however, after the whole debacle, she decided to wait, for a moment tender as the one before her.

"Hold on," she said, pushing away from him. Moving toward a bag that she had hidden in the corner of the room. She left him rooted in the same place, confused as she began to rummage through the bag's contents before finding what she was looking for.

"There's something I wanted to give you first," she explained as she handed him a neatly wrapped box.

The simple gold and black wrapping paper elegantly hugged the curves of whatever it contained that Sheldon was almost apprehensive about opening it. When he looked up to meet Amy's gaze, she nodded, encouraging him.

As the paper was peeled away, he felt a velvet material beneath his fingers. It appeared to be a jewelry box.

"What is this?" Sheldon asked, tugging at the latch to the box.

It was a rhetorical question, Amy knew that. And it was worth a wordless answer when Sheldon opened it to peer at its contents.

A gold-encrusted pocket watch, another one to add to his collection. She had the engraving on the outside plate specially designed for something that she knew would tailor perfectly to Sheldon. The structure of an Atom. Crafted perfectly and precisely, 100% scientifically accurate, she made sure of it. However, the real surprise was the engraving on the inside, something he hadn't gotten to yet.

"Amy, it's beautiful," he gushed, his fingers running over the Atom.

"I know, open it."

When he did, a tiny folded up piece of paper fell out. However, when he moved to read it, she stopped him. "Read the engraving first."

_"They will be the perfect arrangement of atoms" _

He had already begun unfolding the small piece of paper as he read the quote, and for the briefest moment, he was confused as to what Amy meant by the engraving. Until he glanced down at the tiny 4x3, black and white sonogram in his hand.

He drew a breath in through his nose. "You're… you're pregnant?" He asked shakily, his voice catching in his throat.

She nodded, but he remained silent, staring down at the watch and sonogram in his hand. He could feel his emotions at the surface, ready to break through the wall that Sheldon had kept up most of the evening. They'd made a baby. Amy was going to have his child. Their child.

His finger traced the outline of the bean-shaped object. The object he knew was a little bundle of cells that contained their combined DNA. That would grow into a human being with its own traits, abilities, and emotions. A human that only came to existence because of the bond, the love, he shared with his wife.

"You're pregnant," he said again, making a statement rather than a question.

"Yes," she beamed, moving forward to wrap her arms around his waist. He still held the sonogram in his hand, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the first picture taken of his child. _Their _child.

It was several moments before he uttered: "Thank you."

She looked up at him, confused. "For what? You played a part in this too, you know," Amy said, giving him a playful smirk.

He pulled away from her, his free hand coming to rest on her hip. "No, not for the baby." He thought for a moment. "Well, a little the baby, but rather for everything. For telling me what I needed to hear, for sticking by me even though I can be irritating, for loving me enough to tolerate the bad stuff."

Call it pregnancy hormones or the raging emotions behind what could be construed as one of the greatest days of their lives, Amy couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. She knew that he meant every word of his confession, and she also knew that there was much more behind it. However, she wasn't going to push her husband for more, she knew he had a rough day. All she wanted to do was hold Sheldon close and relish in their victory.

Cupping her hands on his cheeks, she brought his head down for a chaste, but tender, kiss to his lips. "I don't want to do anything more tonight, Sheldon, all I want is for you to hold me."

"That sounds wonderful," he said, squeezing her hipbone. "Why don't you and our little progeny go get ready for bed. I'll be in there in a few minutes."

Their bedtime routine at home usually gave Sheldon the first right to the bathroom, so, she was grateful that he let his usual habit go for the day. She smiled up and him and darted to the bathroom before he could change his mind.

The bathroom in their suite was considerably larger than the one back home. It was large enough for the shower and bath to be separate from each other, with the shower itself almost its own room. Instead of one sink, there were two, one on either side when one walked in the door. The toilet granted its own stall with a door and everything.

After their week in Sweden, it was going to be difficult to readjust to their tiny apartment once again.

As Amy moved to the hooks where she left her garment bag from earlier, she tried and failed to unzip the back of her dress. Admittedly, she did have Sheldon zip it up earlier, however, after many years of wearing zippered skirts, one would think she could manage a dress.

"Sheldon!" She beckoned, still trying to unzip it herself.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come here?"

He burst through the door less than ten seconds later. "What's wrong?" He asked, trying desperately to act as though he was not panicked.

"Nothing, I just need you to unzip my dress for me," she explained, dropping her arms helplessly at her side.

He deflated with relief. "Oh, ok," he said, his arms already outstretched as he moved towards her. She held her hands against her chest to keep the dress from falling off as he freed her from the garment. The zipper moved fast a gracefully down her back, she expected nothing less from a down that cost them nearly as much as it did.

"There you go," he whispered as he trailed the zipper to the end of its line.

She turned back towards him, awkwardly. "Thank you."

As he turned to leave, she called his name once more. "There's plenty of room in here for both of us, just stay and get ready for bed with me," she requested, slipping out of her dress and into the hotel supplied robe.

He complied with her wish and begun to change out of his tuxedo. With his outfit having many more components than hers, by the time he had also changed into a robe, she was nearly done wiping the last of her makeup away. As the maneuver together through their usual, but at the same time unusual, bedtime routine, not a word is spoken between them. Every so often, one will catch the other smiling at them through the mirror on opposite sides of the room. And every time the one who gets caught will blush and turn away while the recipient of their gaze smiles warmly at the affection.

It takes a mere ten minutes before they are both dressed in their pajamas and pulling back the covers to the massive king-sized bed. As though it was habitual, both of them immediately migrated to the middle of the sheets, basking in each other's warmth.

"Well," she said, questioningly once they got situated. "You want to be the little spoon?"

He chuckled and turned on his side, facing her. "I think I'd like to take on the role of big spoon tonight."

They both moved to kiss each other, as they did every night before she turned away from him. She leaned back against him as his torso came in contact with her back. Her emotions got the better of her when his hand immediately came to rest over her stomach, tracing the very spot he knew their baby was growing.

"I can't believe there's a baby in there," he mused with wonder and amazement, tracing the number 143 over and over again.

"I know," she said. "I love them too."

No other words were spoken that night, they didn't need any. Their actions spoke louder than their words. Every so often, Sheldon would place the softest of kisses on her shoulder before he nuzzled her hair. She kept her hand firmly grasped over his, the one resting on her stomach.

When sleep finally came, he was too tired and too relaxed to fight it. The patterns traced on her stomach came to a slow stop. His head fell back against his own pillow, and his breathing steadied into his slumber. However, his hand remained stationary over their baby, a gesture she appreciated even more as she realized he had succumbed to the peacefulness of sleep.

She stayed awake for a few more moments, tracing the surface of his wedding band, the sharp ridges of his knuckles, and the blood vessels in the back of his hand. Every once in a while, he would twitch in his sleep and involuntarily grasp her hand. After the third time, she firmly took hold of his hand, letting her heavy lids finally slide close as well. But before she too fell into unconsciousness, she traced what Sheldon had told the baby earlier.

_143… I love you._


	4. Grief

**NOTE: This is sad, dealing with topics such as grief and death. **

Sheldon wiped his hands across his face, as if trying to wipe the exhaustion away. He'd stopped crying ten minutes ago; however, now all he could feel was nothing. It felt like a deep dark pit in which he was alone. Where his voice echoed off of the obscurity and right back into his face. Where the all-consuming darkness was really the magnitude of the situation weighing down so heavily on his mind that he just decided to stop feeling.

He'd been there for his mother. He hugged her, cried with her. Grieved with her. He'd done the same with his sister. And his brother, and his aunts and his uncles. He drained his emotions in their grief. He allowed himself that. But in the end, there was nothing left for him.

No hugs.

No shared tears.

No mutual grief.

He was left to his own devices, and his own deep, dark, humiliatingly depressing grief.

No one batted an eye when he quietly left the room to escape to the hospital garden. He'd cried for almost an hour and no one came looking for him. He'd found his solitude amongst the flora and fauna of the small Medford medical center.

Normally, Sheldon would relish in his isolation. But MeeMaw was dead, and he was alone.

Alone with seemingly no one to turn to for comfort.

Tears came rushing back to eyes in a torrent. He hated this. Losing his Dad felt similar, but at fourteen, Sheldon could look to his mother for support. She was there every step of the way to guide him through his heartache.

But this was MeeMaw, she was different. Her love was overwhelming; not just for Sheldon, but for his mother alike. This death felt like a physical pain, he couldn't imagine what it was doing to his mother.

When Sheldon held his mother right outside of his grandmother's hospital room, it was almost as if he could feel her coming apart in his hands. He told her the news that MeeMaw had passed and Mary had nearly collapsed, as if her legs had become putty. She let out a wail so loud it almost sounded inhumane. Her hand gripped the chain of her cross necklace so hard that it snapped in two. And through it all, Sheldon held his mother; letting her transfer her grief to him.

Mary had let her grief manifest, because that was all she could do. Thankfully she had someone right there with her to guide her through it. Yet, Sheldon let his rip him up inside. Every tear he shared with his family was a crack in the dam he had built up in the week MeeMaw was in the hospital. Every hug felt like little pickaxes tearing away at its walls.

And yet, through it all, Sheldon felt like he couldn't unleash his misery on anyone as he had let everyone else. He'd had family when his dad died, but his current family was all the way in California. Sleeping, completely unaware of what was happening. And his wife, bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, was less than a mile away in a hotel room. Right where he left her when he got the call at 1:30 in the morning.

Yes, he was alone, but in most ways he brought it upon himself. And those tears that had resurfaced just moments earlier spilled over his cheeks. Sucking what little moisture Sheldon had left in his body, out.

He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands. Once again letting the black abyss consume him once more.

Suddenly, through the darkness, a light shimmered in the darkness. The illumination nearly blinded his pain and he felt a momentary calm come over him. Snapping his head up, he came face to face with his Amy. The one constant he could count on.

Her eyes, like so many of his family, were glossed over with pain, but it was clearly meant for him. He was hurting, she was his wife, in turn she too was feeling pain. For him.

She had placed a hand gently on his shoulder. It was the lightest of touches, but it snapped whatever resolve he hand left in him. He buried his face in her midsection and held on tightly to waist.

And just like that he allowed himself the right to grieve. Melting in Amy's arms and she reached down and pulled him up into a hug. He let his chin come to rest on her shoulder and his tears slid down onto the soft cotton of her shirt. His hands stayed stationary on her waist, holding her a little too tight. His body shook as he let the death of his dearly departed grandmother wash over him.

His lips quivered with every exhale and every time, Amy's grip on him tightened. "Shhh, it's ok, sweetheart," she whispered in his ear as she rocked him back and forth. Just like his mama had when daddy died.

Eventually, his sobs dwindled into nothingness and all that was left was the vibration of his body as shivers coursed through him. Amy ran her hands gently down his neck and pulled him back. She wiped away two tears that had stuck to his face with her thumbs.

"I'm sorry," she consoled, continuing to stroke his jawbone with her fingers. Yet, with no energy left in him to cry, all he could do was nod. "Your mother called me," Amy announced after a brief moment of silence. "Told me what happened and that she hadn't seen you in a while."

"Yeah," Sheldon mumbled in reply, wincing slightly at how hoarse his voice was.

"She also said that you weren't allowing yourself to grieve."

Sheldon's head sunk. Even though he wasn't intentionally trying to, he caused his mother even more distress. He thought that because he wept with those wept that he'd done his part. Even though he had two . and a Nobel he still failed at social ques and responses. In his head, he'd done everything right, but all he wanted was for it to be his turn.

Amy continued. "She told me that your aunts and uncles tried to comfort you but you would just cry silently as they held you."

That glint of deep concern returned to Amy's face. "Why aren't you letting them help you?" She asked, running her hands up and down his arms in question.

Sheldon sunk back against the bench behind him, exhausted. Honestly, now that he was being questioned about it, he didn't know. Everyone in the family knew of Sheldon and Constance's bond, so, why would Sheldon think they expected something from him first. If there was something his mother's side was not it was selfish. It was insulting to them for him to think that they expected something from him first.

"I talked to them before I came down here, they want to help you, Sheldon," Amy said, sitting next to him on the bench and wrapping an arm around him. "Let them help you, because the next few months are going to hurt like hell."

"It already hurts like hell," he mumbled.

Amy squeezed him tighter. "I know it does, so, let your family help because they're the only people that are feeling this just the same as you are."

Sheldon lifted his head to look at her, his eyes staring to feel the weight of exhaustion. "Will you help me?"

"You don't even have to ask that, because you know I will!" Amy choked out, leaning over to kiss him on his tear stained cheek. As soon as her lips left his skin, she immediately wiped any residue away with her knuckles.

She stood up before him and extended her hand. "Come on," she beckoned. "Your mother is worried."

Sheldon let his wife guide him through the corridors and hallways of the hospital to the waiting room where his family was congregated. His mother was the first to jump up, and even as she enveloped him in a hug, Sheldon refused to let go of Amy's hand. He needed her to anchor him, to not allow him to collapse under the chaos.

Grief was messy, and complicated, but Amy had helped him get over his fear of things that were messy and complicated. With her at his side, he knew he could get to the other side of this dark long tunnel. He wouldn't exit the same man as he had entered, but rather a stronger one. But he needed his mother, sister, brother, friends and family.

But he needed what outshined all of them. He needed his constant.

He needed Amy.


	5. The Seduction Miscalculation

**Prompt: Sheldon goes all out to make sure baby-making is successful (Note: NOT rated M)**

Sheldon had taken the day off, which meant that Amy hadn't seen him since earlier that morning, and to be quite honest, she missed his company. Since she went back to work in neurobiology, they made it a habit to eat lunch together. Today, she settled for a couple of colleagues that she hadn't aquatinted with yet. Both car rides to and from work were dull and unexciting. Her and Sheldon usually passed the time playing counterfactuals; however, she once again settled for NPR. It wasn't that Amy didn't like eating with her co-workers or listening to NPR, she just wished that she was in her husband's company.

On top of all of it, Amy didn't even know why Sheldon took the day off. He wasn't sick or starting to feel sick. He didn't have any appointments; in fact, his day would have just been another mundane one at the office. The only excuse he gave her was that "he felt like working from home."

Any normal person would've suspected adultery, but Amy laughed out loud any time the ludicrous thought crossed her mind. Sheldon had flown all the way across the country to propose to her because another woman had kissed him. If some temptress tried to seduce Sheldon, he probably would pack up and move them to England. Amy trusted him enough to know he wouldn't do that.

However, that didn't stop her from worrying about him. She knew he had the tendency to get hyper-focused on work sometimes, and trying to pull him out of that funk was a long, hard process.

While she rode the elevator up to their shared apartment, she impatiently tapped her foot, wishing that it would go faster than it already was. When the doors finally slid open to the fourth floor, she exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding. In her urgency to rush home, she knocked right into Leonard and Penny.

"Hey, sorry, guys!" Amy apologized, as she moved out their way so they could board the elevator.

Penny smirked at her. "Someone's got a special night planned," she said suggestively at her best friend.

Amy's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Are you kidding?" Penny said, incredulously, while she pressed the button inside the elevator. "Sheldon's spent all day planning it, believe me, I know, he came and asked me for suggestions. You'll thank me later."

And with that, the elevator doors slid closed, and Amy stood alone in the hallway, staring at her apartment door. So, he'd stayed home to plan a surprise for her.

Interesting.

With a renewed interest, Amy opened the unlocked door to her apartment. It looked completely normal, no big, dramatic changes, for which Amy was thankful. The last time he tried to seduce her, it took her hours to pick up all the rose petals and get all that gunk out of his hair.

The only sight that greeted her when she pushed the door open all the way was her husband standing in the living room holding a glass of wine. He smiled tenderly at her as she shut the door behind her. Approaching her, he gently handed her the wine glass.

"Welcome home, my love," he said, laying a kiss on her cheek while she took a swig of wine.

She recognized the taste immediately; it was the super expensive wine that he knew she loved. The one that Sheldon also claimed was a complete waste of money, because "who would buy something that expensive to just guzzle it down later?"

"What's this, Dr. Cooper, you trying to get me drunk?" She asked with a playful smirk before taking another sip of wine.

Sheldon put his hand to his chest in mock offense. "No, I just thought you'd like a nice drink with the dinner I have made for us," he said, turning and gesturing to their dining table which was adorned with all kinds of delicious-looking food.

When they moved closer to their table, Amy set her wine down on it. "You stayed home today, just to make dinner for me?"

"No," Sheldon replied, setting down two empty plates on the placemats. "I have more planned for later, but it's been a while since we had a home-cooked meal so, I thought I'd treat you."

Sheldon wasn't wrong, they'd eaten a lot of takeout since their return from Sweden. So, she wasn't going to berate him for making her a home-cooked meal. However, she couldn't help but feel like he had some kind of ulterior motive.

Before she could ask him, he had already begun serving her, and she didn't have the heart to stop him. After all, his heart seemed to be in the right place, and how could she turn down such a fantastic looking meal.

Dinner made up for all of the time she had missed him a work. She ranted about how tedious lunch with her co-workers was, how lackluster her car rides were, and he listened the whole time. After she finished talking about work, they playfully bantered on in the way that always confused their friends. But it didn't need to make sense to them, not when Amy was so beyond happy with her life.

Amy wanted to help him clean when they were done, but Sheldon insisted that he do it. So, Amy sat on the couch and sipped the last of her wine while Sheldon cleared away every plate, pot, and pan that he had dirtied. He didn't stop until the kitchen was spotless and pristine. He finally joined her on the couch with a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries.

They'd picked up the conversation right where they left off, almost like they weren't interrupted at all. She made him laugh and vice versa while feeding each other strawberries. It was the perfect way to cap off the night to an excruciatingly long day.

She had been talking about her latest experiments at work when it happened. He leaned across the couch and silenced her with a kiss. It started off just as their very first kiss had. The one she claimed to have forgotten. Soft, sweet, gentle. But then it started to evolve into something more. He softly pushed her into the corner of the couch, his lips trying to pry hers apart. One of his hands cradled the back of her head. While the other came to rest on the top of her thigh.

Usually, Amy would be ecstatic at the chance for coitus with her husband. However, she knew it wasn't on the schedule, and even if it were, he would probably cancel considering they just did it last week. Right after they decided to start trying for a baby.

Amy's eyes shot open.

She was ovulating. She knew he tracked her cycle, so, he would be aware of this.

He'd done everything he knew got her in the mood. Fancy wine. Home-cooked dinner. Chocolate covered strawberries.

Amy ripped her mouth away from his and pushed him back slightly. "Hold on," she said breathlessly. "What are you doing, Sheldon?"

Sheldon's face morphed into a look of confusion. One that she knew was fake because it was overexaggerated. "Kissing my wife; is that against the law?"

"No, but when you have an ulterior motive, it is."

Sheldon pushed off of her, really and truly offended now. "Ulterior mot—Amy, I had every of telling you my plans!"

"Really? Because all of this," she said, gesturing around the apartment, "seems like that time you tried to seduce me two years ago."

Sheldon turned away from her. She could see from his reaction that she had, in fact, been correct. However, when he sunk himself into the opposite side of the couch, looking defeated; Amy felt terrible. "Sheldon, I'm sorry for getting upset, I know you worked hard on this. It wasn't fair to you."

"It's ok, I should have told you my intentions from the get-go," Sheldon mumbled, looking back at her with a slight smile.

"Honey, I do want us to have a baby, but I don't want you to feel like you have to seduce me into it."

Sheldon pounded his fist on the arm of the sofa. "But I thought was what you wanted!" he exclaimed, pulling out several folded papers from his pants pocket. "I asked Penny, and she said this was all stuff you would love. The wine, the food, the strawberries, she said you'd love it," he rambled, sinking further and further into the teal couch. The now unfolded papers just resting on his lap.

She placed her hand over his, "sweetheart, I DO love it. But it's not you. You're not the guy for big romantic gestures, I've always known that. So, while I do appreciate your motivation, I do not want you to feel like all these things you've done are necessary for making a baby.

"So, you're saying that you didn't want all the romantic gestures?"

"Sheldon," she sighed, scooting herself closer to him. "Every time you try to woo me, it's to try and get us to have a baby. For example, the brandy and hair goop incident. It's like you think I'm not going to want to be with you simply because you didn't give me wine or rose pedals. When the truth of the matter is, I love when we're intimate, when you're yourself. Not some romance god that societal constructs have created. To answer your question, I wouldn't mind the big romantic gestures every once in a while. Just not when you feel like you owe it to me out of some societal obligation because that's what they do in all the movies."

Sheldon stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the papers in his lap as well as their intertwined hands. "Ok," he murmured, squeezing her fingers. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, after the horrible day I had, it was nice to spend some quality time with my husband," Amy smirked and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his neck.

"Mmm," he agreed, tilting his head to give her better access. Something that she immediately took advantage of. She showered his neck, jaw, and face with kisses; her lipstick smearing in various different locations. Once again, her lips found him again. And like two pieces of a puzzle, they fit together so perfectly.

"You know," he whispered between kisses, his thumb tracing the bone of her jaw.

"Hmm?"

He broke away from their kiss to rummage through his papers. "I don't know if this counts as a "romantic gesture," but I took the liberty of researching what positions were optimal for baby-making," he said, handing her a piece of paper that had her blushing.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Some of the things on this paper were downright scandalous, but this was what she was talking about when she said she just wanted him to be him. Sheldon cared enough to look up things that would make his mother have a heart attack because he wanted them to have a baby. And he wanted to know what the best way to do it was. She smiled happily down at the paper.

"Thank you, Sheldon, I really do appreciate this."

"Really even more than the strawberries?"

She reached for his hand once more. "Yes, because this," she said, pointing down at the sheet, "this is you."

She kissed him tenderly before standing and extending her hand out to him. "What are you doing?" He asked her as she led him to their bedroom.

She looked at him incredulously. "What? You didn't expect to give me this and then not have us try them out, did you?"


	6. The Car Accident Permutation

**Prompt: Amy gets in a car accident, Sheldon is by her side**

* * *

It was one of those rare occasions where Sheldon was home alone. Leonard was spending the night with Penny, Amy had to work late, Raj and Howard were doing… whatever they do on a Friday night. And Sheldon found himself alone in his apartment with an evening free to do whatever he pleases.

At first he thought about playing a video game, however, the paper cut he gave himself earlier in the day rendered his thumb useless in the face of combat. He was caught up on all of his shows, plus it wouldn't be nearly as fun without someone there for him to spoil the ending. Ultimately, he decided to get some work done on his computer. Write a couple of emails, edit a paper he was looking to publish, mundane work that Sheldon would typically reserve for his assistant who just so happened to be on vacation.

He worked peacefully in the quite for about a half an hour before the sound of his phone ringing jerked him from his concentration.

He could tell the call was local from the area code, but the number was unknown to him. At 9:30 PM he doubted it was work, plus the number would probably be in his contact list if it was. Deciding that it was just some undergrads pulling a prank on him, he ignored it.

He returned to his work briefly before his vibrated once again. Whoever was calling him decided to leave a voicemail. Sheldon didn't even want to give them the light of day, however, if it was a prank call maybe he could use it against them at some point later on. Despite his better judgment, he swiped right on his phone to listen to the voicemail.

A female voice carried the through the speaker.

"Hello, Dr. Cooper, this is the Huntington Hospital emergency department calling on behalf of one Amy Fowler. She has you listed as her emergency contact, so, I was just calling to let you know that she was involved in a car accident this evening. She's ok, just a couple of broken bones and some bruising. We're going to release her here in about an hour and we just wanted to make sure she had someone to escort her home. I'm going to try calling her other emergency contacts, however if you get this message, please call back at (626)-798-5000. Thank you."

Sheldon barely waited for the message to finish before rushing out the door and across the hall. He was sure that Amy had Penny down as her second emergency contact, third if she came after her mother, however, based on the commotion he could hear coming from 4B he assumed that Penny was indeed back up. Sheldon was just about to pound on the door when it swung open to reveal a very disheveled Leonard and Penny.

"You didn't answer the phone, you dingus?!" Penny shouted at him, jabbing a finger his direction.

Sheldon shrugged as she moved around him towards the stairs. "I thought it was a prank call," Sheldon defended, scrambling after his blonde neighbor as she flew down the stairs.

Sheldon all but chased Penny down the stairs, Leonard trying to keep up behind them. It wasn't like Sheldon to feel so panicked. He usually reserved freak outs for being late to the movies or if Barry Kripke was within 100 feet of him. But there was something different coursing through his blood that he wasn't used to. He'd felt it once, when his father had a heart attack and Georgie had to drive Sheldon and his sister to the hospital. It felt like something similar to that but more intense. A soul-crushing fear that made him want to just be paralyzed, but at the same time an adrenalin rush that pushed him to get to Amy as quickly as possible.

He didn't know what that nurse was hopped up on, but a couple of broken bones and bruises was not _nothing_. At least not to him. So, for the first time in his existence, he did not tell Penny to slow down or be cautious of traffic laws. The only thing he could feel was an overwhelming desire, _need_, to get to Amy.

Later, Sheldon would blame that need as to why he jumped out of Penny's car before she came to her screeching halt.

"Sheldon!" He briefly heard Penny call after him, he couldn't care, not when he had a singular focus.

Through the sliding glass doors he ran, searching for the receptionist who snapped his head up upon Sheldon's arrival.

"Name?" The receptionist asked politely, poising his hands, ready to type.

"I'm here to see Amy Fowler, I'm her emergency contact," Sheldon rushed, out of breath.

The man behind the desk nodded his head in a silent form of understanding before typing quickly on his computer. "Sheldon Cooper?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I need to see ID before I can let you through." The young man behind the desk looked almost apologetic as Sheldon huffed in frustration, but pulled out his wallet anyway.

As the receptionist checked his ID, Leonard and Penny came up beside him. "Where is she?" Penny asked, a wild glint glazed over her eyes.

Before Sheldon could respond, the man handed Sheldon back his ID. "Room 14, through the double doors," he said, pressing a button on his side of the desk, opening the large metal doors to his right.

Sheldon briefly thanked the man before pushing off the desk and running through the new opening. His eyes quickly scanned the new surroundings, looking for the aforementioned room 14. It was chaotic, typical for an ER. Constant beeping, nurses swirling around, briskly moving past him as if they knew he was going to be standing there. Despite the chaos, Sheldon could not find room 14.

He stopped a nurse who was carrying a wad of blankets into the room directly on his left. Room 1, where an elderly man was laid in the bed with his wife firmly holding his hand. "Where is room 14?"

The nurse turned to look politely up at him. "You must be the Sheldon Cooper Miss Fowler won't stop talking about," the young woman pondered, looking over him once and then twice. It startled him that the nurse not only knew his name, but that Amy talked about him enough for her to easily identify him. She chuckled slightly and maneuvered the linens in her arms to one side. "Go all the way to the end of the hall, turn left, room 14 is there on the right."

"Thank you," Sheldon uttered before blending in with the chaos. He too began to brush past nurses without casting a second glance, twisting and turning his way through the maze of the emergency room.

He could feel Penny standing too close to him as he slid the glass door of room 14 open. The curtain was drawn, protecting the security of it's occupant, he bombarded his way through that too.

And there sitting on the bed was his girlfriend, peacefully scrolling through her phone. Upon the trio's arrival, Amy dropped her phone to her lap and extended her right arm out towards her boyfriend. Sheldon made no move to get closer. He stood rooted in his spot at the doorway taking in Amy's appearance. Her left arm was wrapped in a thick cast, paralyzed in a sling. Even through the thin white hospital gown, deep, dark purple bruising was visible near her ribcage. There was a small cut near the top of her head that had been stitched up and bandaged. She was a mess.

He heard Penny groan behind him before she rushed around him and to Amy's bedside. "Ames, sweetie, what happened? Are you ok?" She asked as she gently took Amy's uninjured hand in her own.

"I'm ok," Amy responded, her voice shaky and uneven. "Now at least," she mumbled, lowing her head back to the pillow.

Penny climbed into the bed next to Amy, ever so gently, wrapping her arms around the brunette's shoulders. "What happened?"

"Guy ran a red light, hit me head on, on the driver's side. Worst part is, he stayed to see if I was ok," Amy paused to look spitefully at her injured arm. "Then when I mentioned that we needed to exchange information, he got all flighty and left."

"Wait, so it was a hit and run?" Leonard asked from the corner of the room.

"Technically," Amy shrugged, wincing in the process. She turned her eyes to Sheldon who was studying her carefully from the foot of her bed. "The crash wasn't hard enough for the airbags to deploy, so I guess the guy thought he got off lucky."

"Doesn't matter," Sheldon announced, finally breaking his silence. "You leave the scene of an accident without following the proper protocols given by the state, you've automatically incriminated yourself."

Amy gulped as Sheldon piercing blue eyes bore into her. "I know and that's exactly what the police said. Thankfully, the accident happened at an intersection, so, they're going to pull the footage and see if they can get a plate."

Penny pulled Amy closer to her, hugging her tightly to her chest. "I'm just glad you're ok, I mean, it could have been much worse."

Amy grimaced at the thought. "Yeah."

With that a silence fell over the foursome, only the sounds of chaos from outside echoing into the room. Various machines beeping from patient room 16 next door, and the distant screaming of a lady in the waiting room. Typical sounds of the ER on a busy Friday night. Yet, still through it all, Amy and Sheldon found each other's eyes once again. Piercing blue met striking green. Amy had never seen Sheldon look at her the way he looked at her from the end of her hospital bed. Not the night on the train, or the day of prom had Sheldon's gaze consumed her whole. There at the end of her bed, he took her in, scanning every inch of her body. Looking for any cut he hadn't seen before, any bruise he missed. Behind the deep gaze of worry there was love, the deep, all-consuming love, he hadn't shown since prom. The love or the worry had him trembling, of which she was not sure.

Amy turned her head up to Penny. "Can I have a minute with Sheldon?" She asked quietly, her eyes basically pleading with her Bestie to comply.

Penny disengaged from her and squeezed her hand. "Of course. We'll be right outside if you need anything."

Sheldon watched Leonard and Penny disappear behind the curtain and the sliding glass door before he turned back to Amy. He bowed his head toward the bed, shuffling from one foot to the other. "Social convention dictates that I ask if you're ok," Sheldon said after a minute of silence.

Amy tilted her head at him. "We don't follow social convention and you know it," Amy said, not with an accusatory tone, but it was enough for Sheldon to look away from her. "Come sit with me." She patted the bed where Penny had just vacated, motioning for him to join her.

Hesitantly he sat next to her, careful not to touch her, and not for the normal reason. He didn't want to cause her anymore pain than he already knew she was feeling.

Amy on the other hand craved and needed that physical contact. The car accident had left her shaking, and even after the paramedics wrapped a blanket around her, the warmth of the wool couldn't supply the comfort she needed. Even still, hours later, Amy could still feel that every nerve in her body was on high alert, she needed Sheldon to help ground her. To be her 0000. Bring her back to equilibrium.

Through the haze of medication and the lingering pain, Amy tugged on Sheldon's shirt to bring him closer. She expected resistance from her physicist of a boyfriend, however, he came to her easily. They were now touching, but still Sheldon made no move to hold her.

"Sheldon?" she beckoned him. "Isn't it also social convention that the boyfriend complies to the girlfriend's wishes in her time of need?"

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you just said we don't do that?"

Amy shrugged with her good shoulder. "I did, but you're not one to turn it down if _I_ point it out to you."

"Curse you," Sheldon replied, jokingly. "And what would be my girlfriend's wish during her time of need?" He asked, keeping up his playful façade.

Amy leaned into him, playfully nudging him with her good shoulder. "Well, according to the relationship agreement, when one party is sick and or physically impaired the other is required to take care of them."

He raised his eyebrow, playing along with her. "So?"

"And at this moment I find myself craving human intimacy and physical contact."

Sheldon knew what she was refencing, his outstanding memory wouldn't let him forget; but if she was about to offer what he thinks she was about to offer, he was going to call her doctor to come get her a brain scan. "Amy, if you're suggesting that we-"

She interrupted him before the words could leave his mouth, "I just want you to hold me, Sheldon," She pleaded, her good arm outstretched for him once again.

He recalled that night, where she had been saddened by Penny and Bernadette's callous actions and she got him to cuddle with her. At the time he said he was strong-armed into it; however, he would be lying to himself if he didn't look back on it fondly. That was different, he reasoned with himself. He wasn't in love with her then, and she didn't have bruises painted all over her body.

The way she looked at him, begging him with her eyes to be held, tore at his heart. Her pain reflected onto him and without hesitation, he shifted to lie next to her. She adjusted herself as well, putting weight onto her good side so that he could cradle her body in his arms. One arm went under her head so she could use it as a pillow while his other hand rested at the dip of waist. Amy settled into him, sighing contentedly as she took in his scent.

Sheldon could feel the way her muscles relaxed under his fingers as she tried desperately to get as close to him as possible. Pulling Amy's head to rest on his chest, his hand intertwined in her hair trying to detangle the mangled mane.

Amy eventually fell asleep, but Sheldon wouldn't budge. Nope, there was no way in hell he was moving from his spot. Even if he wanted to, she probably wouldn't let him considering she had him in a death grip.

Just as he was reaching for the remote to turn the light above the bed off, a soft knock came from the sliding glass door. Sheldon held up his finger to silence Leonard as he entered the room.

His roommate smiled at the scene. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know, they're going to release her soon," he said quietly, coming to stand next to Sheldon.

"Ok," Sheldon whispered, barely audible.

"We'll be out in the waiting room if you need anything," Leonard said, retreating back to the door.

"Wait," Sheldon stopped him. "Can you run home and pack me an overnight bag? I want to stay with her tonight."

Leonard smiled again, proud that Sheldon was going to such lengths to take care of his girlfriend. "Of course."

With that, his roommate made his exit and once again he was alone with Amy. It felt like liquid relief was washed over him now that he _knew _she would be ok. If only she knew how worried he was. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight now.

He watched her sleep like it was the most mesmerizing thing. He noted how his mouth hung open slightly, little puffs of breath being released against his chest. Every so often the fingers in her cast would twitch against his side, tickling him slightly. Sheldon was so relaxed he almost drifted off as well, but he shook himself awake. Wanting to make sure nothing could hurt her.

After a few minutes, Amy began to mumble in her sleep. Mostly incoherent thoughts that he couldn't really follow, until the faintest of whispers escaped her lips. So quiet he almost missed it. "I love you, Sheldon."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head, gently so as to not disturb her head wound. He mumbled his promise into her hair, and even though she couldn't hear it, it solidified it for him. "I love you too. I'm going to take care of you, I promise."

* * *

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the cheesy little story. I started writing this a few months back when I was in a car accident of my own and one of my dear friends encouraged me to finish it. Love you, boo.


	7. The Diaper Dilemma

**A/N: What is this? Is this a Tumblr prompt? Why, yes it is. It's been a while since I have done one of these. This one is a little odd, but it was, honestly, so much fun to write. It's a little short and fluffier than I usually go for, but I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

**Prompt: Sheldon's first diaper change**

* * *

Sheldon rolled over and groaned into his pillow; the cries of his newborn daughter slicing through the air like a knife. Even after he lazily reached over to silence the baby monitor so as to not wake his sleeping wife, their little progeny continued to cry into the night.

After a moment of trying to get his bearings, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He checked the alarm clock. 4:36. Usually Amy would leap out of bed at the sound of their daughters cries, however, she seemed so wiped out that Sheldon couldn't bring himself to wake her up. Even if it was her turn, she hadn't got quality sleep in a few days.

Rubbing his eyes, he exited his shared bedroom with Amy and ventured into the darkness to see what in tarnation had his daughter screaming bloody murder.

As he tiredly approached the crib, Marie's cries softened slightly. Comforted by the presence of her father. He gingerly reached down to pick her up. He cradled her head to his chest and bounced her softly. "Shhh," he whispered. "It's ok."

The baby's cries intensified once more, troubling Sheldon. He did a quick run through in his head. Amy fed her a little over an hour ago, no way she could be hungry again. She didn't just want to be held otherwise she would have calmed down already. Then a thought entered Sheldon's mind that sent a shiver down his spine. She needed a diaper change.

Even though his daughter was already a mere two weeks old, Sheldon had managed to escape that parental duty on every occasion. Of course the first time he would have to tackle such a responsibility, Amy wasn't present.

Sheldon sighed and set Marie down on the changing table. She fussed a little as he set her down on the padded surface. He surveyed the squirming infant laying before him; so helpless with only _him_ to help.

He excelled at many things, but changing diapers was not one of them. His daughter was only about a week old, and for the most part she never left Amy's arms. So, changing a diaper was still something he had to learn. Maybe he should have taken that parenting class like Amy had suggested.

Sheldon tried to remember what he had seen Amy do, it seemed simple enough. Maybe not a 4:30 in the morning, but he was a genius he could figure it out. Besides with the piercing blue eyes of his newborn staring up at him, Sheldon knew he needed to do something.

His movements were so methodical and calculated, not only did he not want to do something wrong, he did not want to hurt Marie. He replayed every time Amy had shown him how to change her diaper, what she did and how she did it.

Sheldon followed the memory of his wife in strides. All the necessary supplies were conveniently tucked away in the draws of the expensive changing table Amy insisted they buy. Sheldon was suddenly grateful for that. That appreciation increased tenfold when he realized that his wife had put a box of gloves in there for him.

Still following Amy's instructions in his head, he handled his daughter extremely gently. He didn't want to jerk her too much and get her crying again. The last thing he needed was a crying baby and an angry wife.

His gloved fingers gingerly cleaned up to the best of his ability. And when he finally secured the last tab on her diaper, Marie had calmed down exponentially. Something about his handwork looked a little wonky, but, honestly, he was too tired to care.

He pulled the glove off of his hands and threw them into the bag with the soiled items he would need to throw in the trash. Sheldon observed his daughter for a moment, trying to decipher if she would be ok if he stepped out for a moment to wash his hands and throw away the garbage. It seemed Marie was eager to get back to sleep as her eyes were opening a closing wearily. Sheldon figured he had a couple of minutes before she made a fuss about still being on the changing table. But still a part of him did not want to leave her. He had worn gloves, he figured it would be ok.

Scooping up the baby into one of his arms, she curled into a ball on his shoulder. She was so tiny against him, he could see why Amy never wanted to put her down, this feeling was amazing.

Finding a way to dispose of the garbage and maneuvering Marie a little so he would be able to wash his hands proved to be a challenge. But he managed. At least now he felt comfortable holding his daughter more securely in his hands.

Sheldon returned to her nursery to put Marie back to sleep. Sitting down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, Sheldon hummed a lullaby softly. It was the one his mother used to sing to him and Missy when they were children. He couldn't really remember the lyrics of it in his sleepy state, but the melody came easily to him.

He draped a blanket over his sleeping daughter, now curled up in the center of his chest, and continued to hum the song tenderly until she finally fell asleep. He almost didn't want to put her back in the crib. She looked so comfortably laying across his chest, and he didn't want to lose the contentment he found holding his child in his arms.

So, he didn't. He stayed with her for a while, rocking gently, until he himself fell asleep as well.

He woke a few hours later to the sound of his name being called and a hand against his forehead. Sheldon blinked a few times to adjust to the morning light and looked up to see Amy smiling brightly at him. She looked disheveled but well rested. What time was it?

8:47

He'd slept in a chair for 4 hours and Marie was still out like light.

"I woke up and you weren't there, but this was a nice surprised," She chuckled, motioning to him and Marie. "Did she wake you up?" Amy asked, running her fingers across her daughter's head softly.

Sheldon nodded. "Yes, her diaper was soiled and I didn't want to wake you up. Don't worry, I took care of it." He knew he probably looked smug, but he had taken care of his child in her time of need. He was proud of himself.

Amy seemed to be as well as she beamed down at him. "Good job, dad," she praised.

They were both silent for a moment, observing the tiny child still curled up in her father's arms.

"Why don't you go lay down? I'll take care of her for a while," Amy offered, holding out her hands for him to hand her Marie.

He did so. The baby fussed a little at being jostled, but pretty much stayed asleep. "Are you sure?" Sheldon asked uncertainly. "I don't mind staying up with you."

Amy nodded. "Go, it's ok, really," Amy assured him.

He stood up, groaning slightly as his muscles protested the sudden movement. He pressed a soft kiss to Amy's lips and Marie's forehead before making his way back into the bedroom. Sheldon turned back before he exited the nursery. "Love you," he expressed groggily.

"Love you too. Now go sleep," his wife demanded. It was followed by a light chuckle, but her tone meant business.

Amy had made his side of the bed. How did such a simple gesture mean the world to him? He pulled back the covers, nearly falling asleep as he did so. Sheldon was almost out by the time his head hit the pillow. Instead, Amy's voice rang in from the hall.

"Sheldon?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is Marie's diaper on backwards?"

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	8. The Parental Insecurity Predicament

**Prompt: Pregnant Amy and Dad!Sheldon**

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself?" Sheldon asked as he helped Elliot put his shoes on.

Amy, who had just started her third trimester of pregnancy, sighed from the bed. "Sheldon, I'll be fine," she insisted. "It'll be good for you and Elliot to get out of the house."

Sheldon rose to his full height and turned to face her. While her first pregnancy had been smooth sailing, her second had confined her to the bed. And he doted on her like crazy. Sheldon was aware of the complications that her age could present, as was Amy, so, even though it was difficult, they put up with whatever they had to do to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

"Alright," Sheldon conceded, but then quickly added, "but if you need anything, call me. Please."

Amy smiled back at him. "Okay."

Sheldon was nervous. He had never really taken Elliot out by himself. Sure, they were just going over to Howard's so that the kids could play together, but that didn't make him any less anxious. He loved his son, but Elliot was much more of a mama's boy. What if he wasn't able to handle him if Amy wasn't around? Or what if Elliot didn't listen to him? The boy was three years old, and still, Sheldon didn't know what he was doing.

It was almost as if Amy could sense his panic. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Don't make a bigger deal of this than it is."

Sheldon shot her a grateful smile before checking his watch. Leonard would be there any moment to pick him up. "Thank you. We should get going, though." Sheldon said. He turned his attention to his son. "Elliot say bye to your mother before we leave," he told the boy, gently nudging him forward a little.

It was rather adorable how the little boy scrambled forth quickly and up onto the bed, falling into his mother's open arms. Amy kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair. "Have fun, you two," she called out after them as Sheldon took Elliot's hand to leave.

Sure enough, Leonard was waiting for them outside. The new house that he and Amy had moved into was not far the Wolowitz's, but with Sheldon still not able to drive and Amy on bedrest, Leonard was back to driving Sheldon around.

"Hey, Sheldon," Leonard greeted as Sheldon opened the back door to put the car seat in. "Do you need any help?"

Sheldon glanced at Leonard for a moment. He knew his best friend was probably only offering out of curtesy but did he really think Sheldon wasn't able to put a car seat in? "No, I got it," he replied. After all, he had seen Amy do this multiple times. Even though it took him a few tries, he eventually managed to lock the seat into place. He helped Elliot up into the car before he slid into the passenger seat next to Leonard.

The short drive was filled with the chatter of Elliot and Isaac, Leonard, and Penny's child. Sheldon filled in his best friend when he asked how Amy was doing, which took up most of the drive, considering they only had a short distance to go. Silence fell over the car when Leonard pulled into the driveway, though. Both of their sons were just antsy to get inside.

As Sheldon fumbled with the seatbelt to get Elliot out of the car, Leonard was already walking up to the house with Isaac.

"Daddy?" Elliot asked, and Sheldon met his gaze. "Why does Isaac get to go in?"

Sheldon was getting frantic now, why wasn't this stupid belt coming undone? A small hand came into view and almost expertly undid the mechanism. Sheldon looked at Elliot, astonished.

"Mama says it gets stuck," the little boy explained, rolling his 's' like a typical 3-year-old.

Sheldon tried to brush off the incident as he walked hand in hand with Elliot up to the house. Howard was standing in the doorway, waiting to greet them. "Hey, Sheldon," he smiled, stepping aside to let the duo in. Howard quickly turned his attention to Elliot. "Hey, little man!" he exclaimed, giving the boy a tiny fist bump.

"Hi, Uncle Howard," Elliot giggled, delighted to be in the presence of his favorite pseudo uncle. Anyone was better than Georgie, Sheldon supposed. Elliot had taken a particular liking to Howard even when he was still baby. Maybe it's because the engineer had been a father longer, or Elliot could somehow sense the close bond Howard had with Amy and therefore felt safe around him. Whatever it was, it delighted Sheldon to no end to see Elliot so happy. Even if it was with Howard.

"Michael and Isaac are already out in the backyard," Howard said as Elliot haphazardly kicked his shoes off. They landed in two different spots, and, despite Sheldon's protests, Elliot made a dash to the back of the house without straightening them out.

Sheldon pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He was sure that Elliot was just looking forward to playing with his friends, but he would have listened if Amy was there. Maybe he would talk to him later about it. When he wasn't under the scrutinizing gaze of Howard and Leonard, who was watching from the living room.

Sheldon ignored the questioning look Howard was giving him and walked past him to where Leonard, Stuart, and Raj were congregated. "Hello," he greeted quietly.

A chorus of 'hi' and 'hello' followed. As he sat down in the armchair adjacent to the couch, Leonard handed him an Xbox controller. Sheldon eyed it for a moment and looked around the room. "Shouldn't one of us be out back watching the kids?" he asked nervously as he took the controller anyway.

Howard shrugged him off. "It's alright, Bernadette is doing some work on the porch, so, they're not alone."

"So, nobody is watching them?" Sheldon was incredulous.

"I just said Bernadette was out there," Howard argued, but Sheldon didn't listen to him because he was already on his way outside.

Sure enough, Bernadette was busy with her work. Engaged in an obviously heated phone call with someone from work, paying the children no mind. The children who thankfully were not getting themselves into any trouble. Yet.

Leonard and Howard came marching out behind him. "See, Sheldon, I told you they were fine," Howard said.

"Sure, they're fine now, but what about when they decide to start playing around with that hose?" Sheldon pointed to the item in question that had been left out by the side of the porch. "Or what if they decide they want out of the back yard? Our kids aren't stupid, I'm sure they could figure out your dinky little lock over there."

The engineer sighed loudly beside him. He was annoyed, Sheldon knew that by now. "Geez, Sheldon, no wonder Amy needed a break. You're such a worrywart."

Sheldon turned his head sharply. What was Howard trying to get at by saying that? He was just concerned about his child's safety, was that really so bad? Even Amy had called him overprotective at times, but to Sheldon, there wasn't a price to put on safety. Would Elliot think he was hovering, though? Would his underdeveloped brain misconstrue Sheldon's worry as mistrust? That could lead to problems down the road… if Elliot thought his father didn't trust him.

Just as Sheldon opened his mouth to say something, Bernadette hung up the phone and, surprisingly, came to his defense. "Howie, leave him alone, he's got the right to be worried about his child," she scolded, and Howard immediately softened.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon," Howard apologized, albeit hesitantly. "I just think you need to relax a little. The kids are safe here." He tried to be reassuring, and he tapped Sheldon's shoulder. However, he retreated right back into the house.

"He's right," Leonard said, coming to stand beside him as the two watched the kids happily run about the yard. "They'll be okay." Then, Leonard too walked back inside.

Sheldon couldn't take it. There was no way he would be able to calm down, not when he was second-guessing every decision he made in regards to parenting. Ever since Amy went onto bedrest two weeks ago, he had been in charge of most things around the house. Especially when it came to taking care of Elliot. Sheldon never underestimated how hard Amy worked for their growing family, but trying to take on two workloads was really putting things into perspective for him. Amy was doing her best to cheer him on, but every day presented a new challenge. And every day ended with the same question… did I do good enough?

Maybe coming over to Howard's wasn't the best idea. Sheldon always knew his friends didn't think the best of him. And he was okay with that for many years. But then a five foot four hurricane came waltzing into his life and waking up his dormant emotions. Amy had turned him into a full-blown family man who provided for his kids and had a life insurance policy. Now, he cared what his friends said about him and what they said about his family. Being questioned about his abilities as a father stung, especially when he was questioning the exact same things himself.

He really shouldn't care what Leonard and Howard's view of him were anyway; he didn't care before after all. Elliot was his son, not theirs. He should never have to explain himself to anyone other than his wife.

"Elliot!" Sheldon called from the porch. When the boy turned to look at him, Sheldon beckoned him to come over to him silently. Suddenly Elliot was in front of him, his eyes asking for an answer as to why his father interrupted his fun playtime. Sheldon knelt down to be eye level with Elliot. "I'm going to be inside with my friends, you'll be okay out here with Aunt Bernadette?"

"Yes, Daddy," Elliot said, the innocents of childhood giving away his sincerity.

Sheldon nodded curtly. "Alright then, go have fun."

Elliot smiled widely at him and bounded back towards his friends.

Just as Sheldon was about to rejoin his own companions, he noticed Bernadette eyeing him curiously. "Yes?" He asked.

Bernadette shook her head. "Nothing. Just never thought I'd see the day where Sheldon Cooper was a concerned father. You're doing a good job, Sheldon."

Sheldon tried to ignore the backhanded compliment and just smiled at her. How little did his friends believe in him to make them all think he would end up a horrible father?

It didn't matter. Amy's opinion mattered, not theirs. He kept repeating this over and over again. Because maybe if he told himself this enough, he would actually start to believe it.

He went back inside to the living room where his friends were finishing up a round of their video game. There would have been a time where that would have angered him… the fact that they started without him. However, since becoming a parent, he had learned to overlook tiny inconveniences like that. Sheldon still had a hard time with things not being a certain way, but it was one thing that got a lot easier when Amy went on bedrest. He simply had more to do and didn't have time to worry about such mundane things, such as his friends starting a game without him. And he really thought his friends would take notice of his personal growth.

Yet, as he sat down, Raj quipped, "what? No lecture about us starting without you?"

"I had to talk to my son, I think that trumps missing a round," Sheldon shot back, reclaiming the armchair.

Raj nodded. "Fair enough," he conceded.

Leonard and Howard said Nothing, and Sheldon assumed it was because they understood what he was going through. Or at least that is what he hoped to be true.

While the five men played their video game, round after round, Sheldon left himself slightly tuned in to whatever was happening outside. His quote-unquote "Vulcan hearing" finally served a good purpose. For the most part, the children seemed to be having a good time. They would go quite sometimes, and Sheldon wasn't able to hear them, he could only trust Bernadette's watchful eye.

Every once in a while, they would have to break for one of them to use the restroom. It was to be expected with how much soda they were all drinking. Sheldon was already working on his 3rd.

"So, Sheldon?" Howard asked as he set his glass back onto the coffee table. "What are you gonna do once the baby is born?"

Sheldon crinkled his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Leonard and Howard shared a look. One Sheldon wasn't so sure he was fond of.

"Well," it was Leonard who spoke this time. "We've noticed you have been having a hard time recently, you know, with Amy on bedrest and all. How's it going to work when your daughter is born?"

"It's hasn't been that hard," Sheldon protested. "Besides, once Amy is able to be on her feet again, I'm sure it will be manageable."

"Yeah, but she is going to be busy taking care of a newborn. Doesn't really open up much time for her, does it?" Howard's question was rhetorical, Sheldon knew this. But again, he didn't know what Howard was trying to imply.

"Howard, I gotta be honest, I don't know what you're talking about," Sheldon admitted. "I am still Elliot's father; the baby being born isn't going to change that. Besides, Amy and I have already discussed what our plan is after the baby is born."

"And?"

Sheldon sighed. Why were his friends pushing this so much? "We will both take our respective 6-week maternity and paternity leaves and care of our children!" his response was almost forceful; he was going on the defensive. "Then we will decide what our next course of action will be depending on our circumstances."

The foursome sat there in silence. Sheldon was angry. And confused. Was Amy this worried about his abilities as a parent? Because his friends seemed to be given that they looked for every opportunity to question him.

Sheldon looked down at his shoes. "Why do you keep bringing into question my abilities as a father?" he asked quietly.

"We've known you for a long time, Sheldon," it was Leonard who spoke now. "We're sure you're a great father, but change has always overwhelmed you and…"

"Oh, I see," Sheldon interrupted. "This is about my train trip back in 2014."

"No!" Howard protested. "Leonard is right, Sheldon. Change has always overwhelmed you, and with Amy on bed rest, you're in a vulnerable place right now. We just want to make sure you and your family is okay."

A recollection of Sheldon's childhood appeared in his mind. His own father's death, how he grew up without him. How distraught his mother was. That loss almost tore apart his family. Despite his imperfections, and there were many, George Cooper was a man who devoted himself to his family. Yet, in the end, Sheldon still had to grow up without him.

Would he follow in his father's footsteps? Would the stresses of responsibility consume him and drive him away from Amy and his children? Sheldon had promised himself that he wouldn't be a father who abandoned his children. But was Howard right? Was he too overworked and overwhelmed to see it already happening?

No. He needed to shake the thought of even the possibility from his head. Amy would never forgive him if he even hinted that he had thought about it.

"Sheldon?" Howard's voice broke him from his musings. He continued when Sheldon looked up at him. "We didn't mean any harm, but we just wanted to let you know that if you guys ever need help, we're only a call away."

Raj and Leonard nodded, agreeing with what Howard said. Even though they have been secondhandedly judging his parenting style all day, their support warmed him a little bit. It was nice that they still cared for his children, Sheldon supposed. Would they ever learn to stop throwing jabs at him, though?

As Stuart reappeared, the men carried on with their video games. And Sheldon didn't win a single round, despite being a pro at the game they were playing. His mind was somewhere else, and he couldn't care less about coming in 3rd place almost 5 times in a row.

The day went by fairly quickly, to Sheldon's surprise, it was 3PM before any of them had even realized. The children had pretty much kept to themselves all day, except for their brief lunch break. When Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon went back out to the yard, they found that the boys had pretty much tuckered themselves out. Who knew what they were doing out there all day, but at least they appeared to have fun.

As Leonard was saying goodbye to Howard, Sheldon was helping Elliot with his shoes again. He knew he should have pushed Amy harder for the Velcro sneakers, but that woman was insistent on getting lace-up. But, shocker, Elliot had no interest in learning how to tie them.

"Still haven't taught him how to tie them, I see," Leonard observed as he stepped up behind him in the entryway.

Sheldon shot him an irritated look. He wasn't in the mood for his friend's judgment anymore. "Well, he'd rather learn about chemistry than learn how to tie his shoes. Can't really blame him, science is always more interesting." Sheldon smirked up at Elliot, who perked up when his favorite subject was mentioned.

"Chemistry, huh? I'm surprised you're not more up in arms about it not being Physics," Leonard replied.

Finishing the last loop on the tiny shoes, Sheldon stood up and turned to face his best friend. "What's important is seeing my son happy. If that's chemistry, then so be it."

He gave the shorter man no opportunity to respond and turned his back to him once more. Elliot was tired, he needed a nap, and more so than ever, Sheldon wanted to be home.

The car seat gave him a lot less trouble the second time around now that he knew what he was doing. Helping Elliot get in and out of the car took much less time than before. And Leonard didn't even ask once if he needed help. Sheldon took that as a win.

"Daddy?" Elliot's small voice asked as Sheldon worked on getting the seat out of the car. He made a noncommittal noise in response to his son as he unhooked the last latch. "I'm tired, can you carry me?"

Sheldon bid Leonard and Isaac goodbye before responding to his son's query. Elliot did look dead on his feet, and Sheldon genuinely did not believe he would be able to walk himself upstairs to his bedroom. Instead of verbally telling him he would, Sheldon simply bent down and picked up his son. His small head rested against Sheldon's shoulder as he walked them into the house. Sheldon set the car seat down next to the front door and began climbing the stairs.

He helped Elliot into his PJs and tucked him in for a much needed short nap. The kid was out before his head hit the pillow.

"Hey, you're home!" Amy exclaimed as he walked into their bedroom. "How was your day?"

Sheldon plopped down on the foot of the bed. "Well, Elliot wore himself out playing with Michael and Isaac. He's down for a nap right now."

"Sounds like he had fun then?" Sheldon could almost hear the smile in her voice. Elliot's happiness brought her Nothing but joy.

"He did."

"And you? How was your day?"

Sheldon pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was… alright. The guys and I played video games all day."

Amy's foot nudged him, urging him to look at her. "Sheldon, what happened? You sound tense," she observed.

He reached beside him and rubbed her ankle softly. "Nothing happened," he lied. "You know how it is with the guys sometimes, we bust on each other."

"And that's alright, but you seem bothered by something. Was it something they said?" Amy asked softly, her comforting voice soothing him a little.

'Yes, it was something they said. It's what they were all implying.' Sheldon thought.

Pivoting his body so that his leg was under him and he was finally facing her, Sheldon still didn't meet her eyes. "It wasn't so much what they said as it was what they were eluding to."

"And that was?"

"That my parenting skills are lacking," he bluntly stated. Because that's what it was. Even if that wasn't what his friends were implying all day, that is how it was perceived.

Sheldon waited for a response from his wife, but she was dead silent, waiting for him to continue. "I mean it wasn't like they stated it outright, but they kept asking things like what we're gonna do after the baby is born? And how you are going to handle having to raise two children as if I am not going to be here. Maybe I'm reading too much into it," Sheldon dismissed. He didn't want to dwell on what they said. Mostly because he was afraid Amy would confirm what they said.

"No, you're not," Amy told him. "They have no right to ask you those kinds of questions and imply that you are a bad father because that is not true."

"Isn't it, though? I mean, Elliot prefers you over me any day. Doesn't that say something about my abilities as a father?"

Amy sighed, her eyes pitying him. "No, Sheldon, it doesn't. It's scientifically proven that children depend more on their mothers during their developmental years. Elliot being more attached to me has nothing to do with your parenting abilities. Despite that, that doesn't mean Elliot doesn't love you."

Sheldon stayed quiet for too long because Amy kept talking. "Did you know, when I take him shopping with me if he sees something he knows you like, he always asks if we should 'get it for daddy'. He does it all the time. That new Flash shirt I got you a few months ago? Elliot picked it out for you. Because he knew that it is your favorite superhero. Elliot loves you, Sheldon, he just has a different way of showing it."

He had no idea. Sheldon knew Elliot had a heart of gold, something that he openly displayed for Amy on a daily basis, but he was always much more reserved towards Sheldon. But Amy was right, in his own special way, Elliot did show him his love. It just wasn't as apparent right now, maybe when he gets older, it'll be a different story.

Sheldon remained quiet for a moment. "I suppose I know why Elliot prefers you over me, but in general, I've been questioning myself as a father."

Amy put on her worried face again. "Why? Has something been bothering you?"

"I second guess everything I do. Every little thing in regards to Elliot, I am always asking myself if it was the right thing to do. Am I too protective? Not protective enough? Did I discipline too much or too little? It's been a lot to handle since you went on bedrest," Sheldon confessed, keeping his eyes low.

"Sheldon, why didn't you talk to me about this sooner?" Amy asked. "I could've calmed your worries."

Sheldon shrugged. "I thought I could handle it on my own. You're growing an entire human; I didn't want to burden you with my insecurities." He looked up at Amy to gauge her reaction. She looked concerned for him. "They didn't bother me that much, honestly, until they were all but confirmed by our friends today."

"Well, our 'friends' will be hearing from me about how they treated you today," Amy spat angrily, her eyes remaining soft for him. "For the record, you can burden me with anything, Sheldon. Especially when it comes to our son. I don't like that you've been feeling insecure about it and not talking to me. You're going to burn yourself out."

"I know," Sheldon said. "But I thought I could handle it on my own. When I heard what our friends said, I started to wonder if you felt the same way… that I am a bad father."

Amy lurched forward too quickly for someone on bedrest. She reached out to him. "Of course not! I think you're a wonderful dad, Sheldon. You go above and beyond for Elliot, and I have no doubt you'll do the same for this little one," she said, pointing to her ever-growing stomach. "It wasn't fair for your friends to bring your parenting into question like that. It doesn't concern them. How we decide to raise our son is between you and me, no one else."

Sheldon smiled gratefully at her. How she could calm him down so easily was still a mystery, but he loved it when she did. He tilted backward to lay back on the bed. Amy, who was still sitting up, gently ran her fingers through his hair. Something she'd learned relaxed him very much.

Something was still troubling him from earlier, though. His established reputation as a flight risk and the lingering fear that he would one day abandon his wife and children.

"Amy," he spoke quietly, getting her attention again. "Howard indirectly brought up that time I ran away on a train back in 2014."

The fingers in his hair tightened into a grip suddenly. Sheldon knew that was still a sore spot for Amy. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked as she loosened her hold on his tresses.

Sheldon gulped before he spoke. "Well, he was saying he was worried that I would be too overwhelmed with all the changes that will occur when the baby is born. Howard never blatantly said he was worried I would run away again; I did that on my own. I mean, I already have a history of fleeing when things get too hard. What if I decide to do that again in the future?"

Amy's hand stopped moving altogether this time. She wasn't responding, and to Sheldon, she appeared to be thinking. His nerves couldn't handle it, and he started rambling. "I know I shouldn't even think like that, and you're probably mad at me for doing so. How could I even think about leaving? I grew up without a father why would I even consider the possibility that I could do the same to my own children? How-"

Amy silenced him with a finger against his lips. "Shhh, it's okay, I'm not upset." She told him.

"You're not?"

"I'm not because I'm not worried about that, Sheldon. Do you know why?" He shook his head. "Because you're not the same man you were back in 2014. You've grown a lot since then, Sheldon." Amy said, smiling now. "I didn't marry a flight risk. I married a man who learned from his mistakes and grew as a person. You're going to get overwhelmed, and you're going to be stressed, that's parenting. But I'll be by your side to help you, just as you will be by mine. We're partners in this. You felt alone when you ran away in 14', you're not alone now. And that's why I am not worried about you getting on a train and leaving me forever."

He sat up to her eye level, truly at a loss for words. "I love you," he said, unable to find anything else to express his admiration for her.

She smiled at him, just like she always did when he said the three magic words. "You are an amazing father, Sheldon. When you're down on yourself, I know it can be hard to remember, but I am always here to talk to if you need reminding."

Sheldon nodded. "Thank you, Amy," he whispered and leaned down for a chaste kiss.

"You're welcome," she hummed. "I am still going to call Penny and Bernadette, though. I will not tolerate people being unnecessarily mean to my husband."

Sheldon waved his hand in protest. "You don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do," Amy insisted. "They wouldn't hesitate to call me and rake you over the coals if you did what they did today. I won't stand for the constant meddling in our relationship anymore. It's hurt both of us on one too many occasions, and that needs to stop."

She was right. Their friends had been putting in their two cents about their relationship since day one. And they'd both enabled it for too long. Their children are where they were drawing the line.

"Alright, you do what you need to do, Amy. I will stand behind whatever you tell them," Sheldon affirmed.

"I will call them tomorrow, right now the baby just wants to cuddle," Amy smirked.

Sheldon raised an eyebrow at her. "The baby does, or Mama does?" he playfully asked.

"Would you believe me if I said both?" Amy pouted her lips slightly, doing that pleading thing she knew he couldn't resist.

Sheldon sighed theatrically to keep up with the playful mood that had suddenly been bestowed upon them. "Well, I suppose I really have no other choice, do I, Dr. Fowler?"

Amy shook her head as she worked to lay down. Sheldon knew better than to ask her if she needed help. In both of her pregnancies, Amy had pretty much insisted on remaining independent up until it was no longer physically possible. Just like with the car seat, even though it took her a couple of minutes, she eventually got there. On her side, facing him, basically using him as a human body pillow. He didn't have a problem with it, whatever made her the most comfortable.

"You do realize Elliot is going to wake up soon?" Amy told him after a few minutes in comfortable silence.

Sheldon nodded against his pillow. "I am aware. But we haven't had much time alone since you went on bedrest, I'm kind of just trying to savor it."

She brushed his brow lightly, swooping back his unkempt hair. "You've been working hard, Sheldon. I'm really proud of you."

"For what? I've just been doing my job, taking care of Elliot."

"Exactly," Amy responded. "You've stepped up and been such a good dad, Sheldon. I always knew you could do it. That's why I am proud of you."

Even when his friends all thought he would fail, Amy knew he had the capacity inside of him to succeed. Amy always believing in him. Even no one else did.

There were a few peaceful moments where they just laid there, side by side. Reconnecting as husband and wife. Just like it used to be before Elliot flipped their world upside down in the best way possible.

Sheldon never wanted it to end, but the little pitter-patter outside the door put a kibosh on that real fast. And Elliot's mimic of Sheldon's knock killed any magic left from the moment.

Amy gave him an apologetic smile. He knew she would get up if she could, but right now, whatever Elliot wanted was his responsibility.

Swinging the door open, there stood his son clad in his superhero pajamas, teary-eyed. "Hey, what happened?" Sheldon asked worriedly, kneeling down to his level.

"I had a nightmare?" Elliot confessed in a little voice. He was reaching his arms out towards his father, asking silently for some comfort.

Scooping Elliot up into his arms, Sheldon patted his back and hushed him as the little boy cried in his shoulder. Amy was watching concerned from her place in the bed.

"You want to lay with Mama for a little while?" Sheldon offered, and Elliot nodded immediately. He set the boy down on the bed and watched Elliot hastily scramble over to his mother. "Gentle," he reminded Elliot as he relaxed in Amy's embrace.

"I'm going to go get dinner ready," mouthed Sheldon, already making his way back to the door. Amy acknowledged him with a thumbs up and turned her attention back to Elliot.

He stopped in the doorway and watched the pair for a moment. Sheldon didn't think this was ever something he would have. A wife and two kids. Sheldon also didn't think it was possible for him to be this genuinely happy. Yes, he had his insecurities and doubts, but Elliot made him smile every day.

Amy caught his eye as he continued to watch the scene in front of him. And when she whispered, he almost didn't pick it up but was glad he did.

"Good job, dad."

Even if their friends never thought he was good at the whole parenting thing, Amy did, and in the end, hers was the opinion that mattered.

* * *

**A/N: I'd like to personally thank DrummerGirl66 for helping me out with this one. She gave me the inspiration for this…. Thank you again, love *hugs* **

**I hope you all liked this one, it's been a while since I have done a prompt :)**


	9. The Flash Determination

**Prompt: Amy and Sheldon watch _The Flash _together**

* * *

Amy knocked on his door, all dressed up and ready for date night. In her sensible dress and low heels, she was rather excited for another night with her boyfriend. Ever since they got back together, Sheldon was very adamant on two dates a month as opposed to one. He had told her that they had to make up for the ones they had lost while they were broken up. But they had already met that quota, and the amendment had been made to their new relationship agreement.

The apartment door to 4A swung open, and she was met with a very despondent Sheldon Cooper. Normally he was happy to see her when she arrived for their dates, but there was something off with him. "Hello, Sheldon," she greeted.

"Hello, Amy," he muttered and stepped aside to let her in. He was hardly dressed. Missing his tie and suit jacket, and his shirt appeared to be buttoned incorrectly.

"Sheldon, what's wrong?" Amy asked softly. "You seem upset.

Her boyfriend pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, everything is fine; it's just been a long week," Sheldon responded, low and obviously tired.

Amy knew what that was like; she'd been there many times. She took pity on him knowing full well that he did not handle stress well. Nobody did, but especially when they were tired.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon," Amy sympathized. She shut the front door behind her. "What if, instead of going out, we stay here? We can order takeout, watch some TV. Whatever you like," she suggested, hoping her offer would cheer him up a little.

"Really? You're ok with that?" He asked, obviously reluctant to show excitement.

She briefly ran her hand down his bicep, not missing how his muscles had filled in his shirts. "I want whatever is going to make you most comfortable," Amy told him. "If that involves staying home and eating take out, yes, I am perfectly fine with that."

Sheldon's eyes lit up, and a smile brightened his face. "Thank you, Amy!" he exclaimed. She giggled at his excitement. He turned his back to her and bounded towards the hallway, but he stopped just short of the step up. "Do you mind if I go change? This shirt itches."

Amy shook her head. "Of course not."

Shooting her a grateful smile, he disappeared down the hallway, leaving her alone in the living room. Amy shrugged her cardigan off and kicked her shoes off by the door. She was glad she decided to forgo her usual tights for the evening, making things a lot more comfortable.

Sitting down on the middle cushion, she waited for Sheldon to reappear. And when he did, Amy had to gulp to hope Sheldon didn't notice the blush in her cheeks. He was wearing his black Flash shirt with a white undershirt. Sheldon in black was always a good thing in Amy's book.

Sheldon stopped in front of the couch when he noticed Amy staring. "What? Is there something wrong with this shirt?" He asked, looking down to inspect it as if he would find a spot or something. As if his laundry routine was impeccable.

Amy waved her hand. "No, it's just… you look good in that shirt, that's all," Amy responded honestly. No need to hide something she had no reason to be embarrassed about.

"Oh," Sheldon blushed. "Well, thank you."

It was awkward now. He just stood in front of the couch, looking at his feet, and Amy was biting her bottom lip.

"Well, uh, I should get dinner ordered," Sheldon announced, breaking the silence between them. She nodded her approval but watched him still as he walked over to his desk drawer to pull out the takeout menu. "Would you like your usual order?" He asked, already dialing the number on his phone.

"Yes, please," Amy smiled at him. She knew his eidetic memory had something to do with it, but the fact that he saved space in that beautiful brain of his for her _Thai_ food order touched her deeply.

As Sheldon ordered their meal, Amy waited patiently for him, scrolling through Netflix looking for something to watch. Unsurprisingly, Sheldon had already watched all the good content. Maybe he would want to rewatch something, she would have to ask him.

When he wrapped up with the person on the phone, he came back over to the couch. This time sitting down in his spot next to her. "The food should be here in about 25 minutes," he informed her, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Alright," she said. "Well, what do you feel like watching?" She asked, pointing at the TV.

Sheldon shrugged. "I don't know. I'm already caught up on all of my shows."

Amy didn't look at him as she was now looking through the guide for something they could put on. "There's gotta be something," she pushed. "Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, The Flash…"

"I never started The Flash," Sheldon confessed quietly, interrupting her before she could spew off any more names.

Her brow furrowed, and she snapped her head to look at him. "Really? Why?"

He looked upset again. "I don't know," he whispered. "I just couldn't after what it did to us, I guess."

_"I know… do you think I should start watching The Flash TV show?"_ is what he had asked her that night before she broke up with him. That comment was the straw that broke the camel's back. It wasn't the show itself that broke them up, though. It was Sheldon's obvious commitment issues at the time, that had since been disproven by his MeeMaw, that ultimately tore them apart for six months. Surely, Sheldon must have known that.

"Sheldon," Amy started carefully. "You know it's not the show that broke us up, right?" she asked gently, not wanting to cause him undue pain.

"I do. It was my hesitation to commit to you that led you to leave me." Amy's heart splintered at that. Sheldon continued quickly. "I know it was justified, and that the break up was a good thing for us, but I could never bring myself to start watching The Flash. Every time I thought about it, I was just reminded of what I did wrong and how I hurt you with it."

Amy set the remote down on the coffee table in front of her. She turned to face her boyfriend entirely. She placed her hand on his knee. "I wouldn't have been upset if you started watching it, Sheldon," she told him.

"Really? Even with everything it represents between us?"

"The show doesn't represent anything," Amy sighed. "I didn't break up with you because I was mad at you for asking about a TV show. We've talked about what split us up and are trying to move past it. I knew you were going to ask me at some point if you should start watching it. I just would have preferred it not have been during our anniversary."

Sheldon lowered his head guiltily. Amy hadn't realized that the issue over the TV show bothered him this much. He deprived himself of something he would probably enjoy because he was afraid it would upset her. Even if they were broken up. Maybe she should show him that it was ok if he decided to watch The Flash.

Amy gave his knee a squeeze. "Hey, why don't you and I watch it together?"

"You want to do that?" Sheldon asked her suspiciously.

She opened up Netflix again and started the pilot episode. "Of course! I quite like the Flash, maybe I'll enjoy the series too." Amy shrugged and relaxed back into the couch, her hands resting on her knees like they always do.

However, Sheldon did something wildly out of character and grabbed her left hand. Just like he did when Howard went to space. She usually had to beg him to hold her hand, but he did it without hesitation as the show began playing in the background. "Thank you, Amy."

"You're welcome," she said softly and turned her attention back to the screen as the main character began speaking.

_"To understand what I'm about to tell you, you need to do something first. You need to believe in the impossible."_

* * *

As the third episode was wrapping up, Amy's alarm went off, indicating that date night was over.

She pleasantly surprised to find that she actually enjoyed the show. Amy could understand if the show was anything like the comics, why Sheldon enjoyed the Flash so much. Maybe they could make this a regular occurrence, watching The Flash together.

"Well, what do you think, Sheldon?" Amy asked as she turned towards him. "You think you're going to keep watching?"

Sheldon looked absolutely giddy, completely overjoyed. He had seemed so invested when they were watching the episodes. He didn't even mind when Amy made commentary on what was happening. "I rather enjoyed it," he said. "I find myself relating to Barry Allen in many ways."

"Really? How so?"

"His mother died at a young age, which caused an upheaval in his life. He's rather smart, but he's constantly running from things. But most of all, he uses his abilities to do good. I hope someday that is what I can do with science." Sheldon explained.

Amy smiled at him gently. "Sheldon, you're already doing that. You hope to change the world someday with your knowledge of physics, just as Barry Allen hopes he can with his ability to run. He wants to save people through running, you want to through knowledge."

Sheldon laughed a little. "I do… but I don't give people much credit, do I? Barry Allen credits those around him."

"You do, though," Amy protested. "You have faith that humanity will do good things with the knowledge you give them. That is giving people credit."

"Alright," Sheldon said, looking down at his hands. "I suppose now I am into this show for the long run," he guessed with a little chuckle.

"Well, if you enjoyed it, I don't think that's so bad," Amy stated.

"I suppose you're right," Sheldon nodded. He looked as though he was thinking about something before he started talking again. "I do wish I would have started it sooner, though."

Once again, Amy felt bad for him. It hurt her that he thought he couldn't watch some quality TV for her sake. Or to not be filled with guilt because he thought that the Flash was the reason they broke up. Whatever his logic was, it was probably an extension of grief from the breakup.

"Better late than never, right?" Amy asked with a tight-lipped smile.

"Right," Sheldon muttered. "What about you? Did you enjoy it?"

"I did!" she delighted. "I found the plot rather captivating. Maybe we can start watching it together." She paused for a moment. Did she dare tell him? "I must admit, though, that Harrison Wells character is quite attractive." She smirked, enjoying the way Sheldon's eyebrows shot up his forehead.

"Do you now?"

Amy nodded. "I did… you know how I have a thing for smart men, Sheldon," she flirted, her voice dropping slightly.

Sheldon decided to play along. "Well, with that logic, you should also have a thing for Cisco and Barry." He folded his arms over his chest, and his arms bulged a little. Amy found herself taken in by the way the muscles flexed under his shirt.

"Who said I didn't?" Amy winked at him in response.

"That's it," Sheldon exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "No more Flash for you!"

"What?" Amy asked with a mock pout.

Sheldon stood up from the couch and gathered some of the plates they had dirtied with dinner. "Now, now, I can't have you lusting over men who aren't me, Amy," he explained, walking over to the kitchen.

Getting up to follow him, she came to stand behind him as he cleaned one of the plates at the sink. She wrapped her arms around him and stood on her tiptoes so she could rest her chin against his shoulder. The smell of talc overwhelmed her senses. "Sheldon, there's only one man with a lightning bolt across his chest that catches my eye," she whispered in his ear.

He stopped scrubbing and turned off the water, drying his hands quickly with a kitchen towel. As he turned to face her, she lowered her feet back down to the ground. He was giving her that look that always made her go weak in the knees. "Well, that's good, Amy, because we have a legally binding contract that says you can only have romantic feelings towards me." He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Always," she breathed, kissing him softly. Their kissing changed when they got back together. Sheldon always seemed more at ease around her now, but especially when they were kissing. It was yet another positive thing to come from their time apart.

When Amy pulled away, she stayed close to him and kept her voice quiet. "Consider that my kiss for the night."

"Proposal," he said, his thumb rubbing tiny circles on her hip. "Tonight, we suspend the date night parameters again, and you spend the night."

Amy traced the lightning bolt across his chest as she considered his proposition. She would love more than anything to sleep next to him again. She had never felt safer than when she did with him next to her. And if he was offering it to her…

"I'd love to stay with you, Sheldon." His face lit up, and he bent down to kiss her once more. "On one condition," she said after he had pulled away.

"What's that?"

She gripped the fabric of his shirt in her fist and smirked up at him. "I get to wear your flash shirt," she whispered in his ear.

Not even waiting to hear his response, she skipped down the hallway to get ready for bed. Right before she closed the bathroom door, Amy heard Sheldon mutter: "That vixen."

Amy grinned. The Flash was no longer the straw that broke the camel's back. Instead, it served as a means to bring them closer.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little thing I couldn't get out of my head. I myself recently started watching The Flash and it got me wondering if Sheldon ever watched it. Then this was born. I will admit I do have a crush on the actor who plays Harrison Wells, so Amy's attraction is really all me :p **

**Anyway... thank you so much for reading, it means the world to me. Really. Your responses make me cry. **


	10. Grief- Year Two

**A/N: This is a sequel to chapter 4 which I posted about a year ago. That story was written right before the anniversary of a death in my family, and with another death looming over my family's head I couldn't stop thinking about writing this. So, here we are. **

**NOTE: It's obviously sad, dealing with death and grief.**

* * *

Sheldon gently swayed back and forth on the tire swing in the backyard of his childhood home. It was late in the afternoon, the sun beginning to set in the sky. The heat was borderline unbearable, but Sheldon couldn't be bothered to notice. He simply stared ahead, disassociated from reality, and stuck with his own mind.

It was two years to the day since he'd lost MeeMaw. 730 days without her. So many months, weeks, and days without hearing her voice over the phone. So many seconds where she didn't call him Moonpie. And yet, the ache in his heart felt dull now. It wasn't as sharp and stinging. He couldn't feel every excruciating breath he took nearly as much as he had in the days following her death. Like any chronic pain, it had its flair ups, but they were becoming few and far between as of late.

And that scared him. Did that mean he was slowly forgetting MeeMaw? When would be the day he would remember her for the last time? He didn't want to ever let her memory die; she was too special for him to do that. But as the pain of her loss lessened, Sheldon wondered if he was a bad person for moving on with his life. Without her. Without his MeeMaw.

He and Amy just had their first child four months ago. This trip to Texas was the first time Mary and the rest of the family met his son. As Amy had handed Elliot over to Sheldon's mother for the first time, she uttered, "go say hi to your, MeeMaw." Mary had cried. But Sheldon came to a very distinct and terrifying realization.

He hadn't thought of his grandmother since he held his newborn in the hospital just moments after being born. Four whole months had gone by, and her memory didn't even cross his mind. Those fleeting seconds as he observed his son, the beautiful creation he and Amy had made together, were all he allowed his grandmother to have. She deserved better from him. After everything MeeMaw did for Sheldon, and he was forgetting her only two years after her passing.

She would have been so proud of him… bringing a child into the world. She would have been over the moon and would have told him so over their weekly phone chats. MeeMaw never got to do that. She never got to look at Elliot the way that Mary did as she held him for the first time. She wouldn't get to beam with pride as he did with Amy every time she handled their son with so much care. On the second anniversary of her death, that saddened him more than anything.

Sheldon heavily sighed as a gust of wind blew through his hair. How he wished he could have heard MeeMaw tell him she was proud. He couldn't think of anything he _wouldn't_ do for her to meet Elliot.

He then did something that he hadn't done for his grandmother in a long time. He cried over her absence. He let the emotion course through his body and spill out of his tear ducts. How had he survived for so long without her? How was he continuing to survive without her?

Reasonably he knew why. He had Amy and all of his friends. And now he had a whole new little person who he was responsible for. His child brought him joy every day, even when it didn't seem like joy was possible. All of these people in his life, and yet he still missed his MeeMaw as if she had just died the day before. Sure, he didn't think about her that often anymore, but deep down, continuously, he missed her.

Perhaps he would never stop missing her. Even after he thought about her for the last time. Maybe it would just get easier as life carried on, and his grandmother's life got washed away with time. Sheldon couldn't be sure. He was so confused. Remembering and missing someone seemed so intertwined, so how could he do one but not the other?

Frustrated, he wiped away his now angry tears with his sleeve. Why? Was the only thing left for him to figure out, and he was usually good with the why questions. Sheldon rested his chin on top of the rubber tire as the silent, irate tears continued to stream down his face.

He watched Amy open the sliding glass door to the house and step outside. He watched her pull her loose cardigan tighter around her body as she crossed the yard over to him.

"Hey," she greeted worriedly. "You've been out here a long time, how are you doing?"

Sheldon's voice was failing him. He knew he would just cry harder if he tried to speak. Instead, he answered her with a pathetic shrug.

Amy reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. "Do you want to talk about it? Or would you like me to leave you alone?"

He shook his head lightly. "I don't know what I want," he whispered, barely audible.

"That's ok. You don't have to if you don't want to," Amy told him, moving to stand behind him so she could gently massage his shoulders.

Her touch brought him back to that early morning two years ago. When she had lightly tapped him in the same spot and broke down the last of his walls. How he had melted into her comforting hug at nearly three am. Those very same floodgates that she had opened up that day, the ones he had spent every day trying to close, opened again. Sheldon shook against the swing, the heavy-hitting grief for MeeMaw punching him once more.

Angry that he had forgotten her.

Sad that he would never stop missing her.

Confused because he couldn't differentiate the two.

Without even realizing it, Amy had managed to get him out of the swing somehow. Now, instead of lifeless, hot, rubber, he was sobbing into his wife's shoulder.

Just like she had that day in the hospital courtyard.

Amy, his pillar of strength, the woman who picked him up when the world seemed to be fighting against him. She was holding him tightly now, in his childhood back yard, carefully putting him back together as he fell apart in her arms.

"I shouldn't be this upset," Sheldon muttered after his sobs dwindled back into silent tears and residue. "She died two years ago, I should be moving on."

Amy pulled back from him, her eyes staring intensely into his. She held his face in between her hands. "You get to be upset by it anytime you want, Sheldon," Amy said forcefully. "There is no set timeline here."

"I didn't even remember it was the anniversary until you called Mom' MeeMaw'," Sheldon confessed. "How could I forget, Amy? I can't forget her." He sounded scared even to his own ears.

"You're not!" Amy took a step closer to him. "You'll never forget her, Sheldon, you just won't think about her as often. That's grief. Eventually, her memory _will_ fade, and you will think about her less. But that doesn't mean you're forgetting about her. That just means that life is continuing to move on. As painful as it is, it's moving on without her."

Sheldon nodded to that, his breathing heavy and uneven once more. He couldn't bring himself to talk.

"I think about her too, Sheldon. I thought about her a lot right after she died, but it's less now. I thought about her when Elliot was born; I'm sure you did too. She would have loved him," Amy sniffled, her own eyes looking watery now.

Sheldon smiled bittersweetly. "She would have been so proud of me."

Amy wiped his cheeks with the pads of her thumbs, smiling and nodding in agreement. "She would have, Sheldon," she said as the first of her tears began to fall. "I know what she meant to you, Sheldon. And I know the way I miss her is completely different from yours. But, please remember, you're not dishonoring her legacy by simply living your life. Imagine how sad you would be if you thought about her all the time; she wouldn't have wanted that for you. She would want you to be there for your family,… for your son."

"Our son," Sheldon corrected with a smile.

Amy's eyes twinkled at that. "Our son. You're an amazing father, Sheldon, and MeeMaw would be so proud of that. _I_ am proud of that. But your actions remember her better than your thoughts do."

"What?" Sheldon was perplexed. "I don't understand."

"She taught you so much about humanity and feelings. She taught you basic life skills that you use every day. Doing those things and treating people the way she taught you how to treat people is unconsciously remembering her every day. In the future, you're going to teach Elliot those very same lessons. Whether he likes it or not, he will be carrying on what she left behind without even realizing it."

Sheldon pondered that for a moment. "So, in a way, I'll never really forget her then?"

"Exactly. You don't have to think about her every day to remember her. It's ok to move on, Sheldon. Don't ever feel guilty about living your life."

With her hands still holding his face, Amy pulled him down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. Touched by the tender gesture, Sheldon held onto her wrists. Savoring the feel of her lips against his skin.

When she pulled back, Amy took his hands in her own. "I am still here to help you, Sheldon," she reminded him. "That will never change. If you want to talk about something, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you, Amy… I love you."

She gave him that goofy smile every time he said that. "I love you too. Now let's get inside, your mother told me she made MeeMaw's apple pie!"

As Amy led them back to the house, Sheldon finally found like he had found some inner peace. He would miss his MeeMaw every day, without fail. But he wouldn't remember her every day. The memory of her lived on through unconscious actions and habits that she had taught him. Life would continue on, but he would still carry her lessons with him. Lessons he would one day pass on to his own son.

As painful as it was to begin to move on, Sheldon knew he had to. He was happy, and that's all MeeMaw ever wanted.

For now, on the second anniversary of her death, knowing that MeeMaw would be happy with the person he had become was enough for him.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading *love***


	11. The Mango Sticky Rice Reverberation

_**A/N: Shorter one than usual. **_

_**I gotta admit, I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I wanted to make sure it stuck to cannon, but you all know how hard that is for me lol. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy :)**_

_**Prompt: Follow up to the couch scene in 12x9**_

* * *

Leonard and Penny didn't stay. In fact, after the mango stick rice issue, they dismissed themselves to their own apartment. There was nothing that they could do to help them after all. After spending all day cooped up at home, wallowing in self-pity, Amy and Sheldon didn't have it in them to do much of anything.

Amy herself hardly slept the night before, and the way Sheldon tossed and turned told her that he didn't sleep much either. She could understand why. This was supposed to be his breakthrough, the thing that gave him what he always wanted. The prize that he thought would define his success. The Nobel was what Sheldon had been striving for his entire life, Amy was not blind to that, but she had never seen him this let down by a setback before.

Sure, she was just as excited about the idea of super-asymmetry and the prospect of a Nobel, but she knew that it meant so much more to Sheldon. He'd dedicated years of his life to this research, and he finally cracked it at their wedding of all places. He was always so giddy when they made progress with the theory. It was devastating to watch his excitement deflate after learning their theory was no good.

Amy had to make Sheldon so much tea that day. He seemed so numb to everything, but maybe that was just exhaustion. He was also unusually quiet, cradling his mug and staring intently at the coffee table. Until their friend's left, then his behavior changed. He fidgeted, and his blinking was rapid. And Amy wasn't sure, but she thought she saw him wipe his face with his sleeve out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm gonna go lie down for a bit," Sheldon told her suddenly, tapping her knee. He didn't give a moment to respond and bolted off to the bedroom quickly.

Amy turned to watch him go. She debated whether or not to follow him. On the one hand, alone time might actually be helpful for him. Sheldon needed a lot more time to process than the average person. Even Amy herself had to find a way to come to terms with this "loss".

But on the other hand, Sheldon made impulsive decisions when he was by himself. More so when he was in distress. Perhaps she should simply check on him, make sure he was alright and then leave him be.

Ultimately, Amy decided to clean up a little before she said anything to him. The mess had to be driving him crazy, just as it was her. But that had to tell her something about Sheldon's mental state… him not caring about the disorder in their apartment.

Amy knew she had the right to be upset herself, but she was worried about what this was doing to her husband more than anything. She saw the way his lip quivered the night before when she told him how he was really feeling. Amy stayed up with him into the early hours of the morning looking for any kind of solution. And when they didn't find one, she saw the emptiness in his eyes. That scared her because she knew what that look meant. He was shutting down on her. Looking for a way to protect himself emotionally because science could no longer do that for him.

As Amy threw away the last of the empty food containers, she wondered what was waiting for her behind the bedroom door. There was no sound coming from that side of the apartment, and it was eerily quiet. She ran her fingers through her hair just as she stopped in front of the threshold. Amy listened once more for any kind of noise, but still, nothing came.

Without knocking, Amy slowly opened the door. The sight of her husband clutching her pillow, back turned, greeted her. His breath was uneven and broken, but his frame was as still as a statue.

"Sheldon?" Amy pried carefully. No response. "Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

He shook his head, rustling the pillow beneath him.

Hesitantly, Amy sat down on the sliver of the bed behind him. Tenderly, she rested her hand in the ever so slight dip of his hip. Sheldon flinched, but he did not push her away. "Talk to me," Amy pleaded. "What's going on?"

Sheldon nestled his head further into the pillow. "This was supposed to be my Nobel, Amy," he said quietly.

"Oh, Sheldon, I know."

Even from his side profile, Amy could see the tear escape his eye. "I thought this was my breakthrough. But like all of my other work, it's never going to amount to anything."

Amy gaped at his uncharacteristic insecurity. At least regarding his intelligence. Like everyone, Sheldon lacked confidence in some aspects of his life, but brainpower was never one of them. "Sheldon, that's not true," Amy tried, gently rubbing his side.

"Yes, it is!" Sheldon exclaimed, raising his voice. His body shook now, the barrier he had built around himself all day finally coming down. "I'm sorry I couldn't figure this out for you, Amy. I'm sorry I wasn't smart enough," he sobbed.

Amy moved quickly, laying down behind him trying to wrap her arms protectively around him. His frame was much bigger than hers, yet, he became like a small child as his body curled in on itself. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she clutched him tightly, hoping it would calm him down. Amy could feel the tears running down his face as she nuzzled closer to him.

Eventually, Amy felt Sheldon grip onto her forearm that was lying across his chest. His uneven breathing had slowed. His face was dry and puffy now.

Amy squeezed him a little bit tighter. "I know how disappointed you are, Sheldon. I'm feeling the same way. But I love you no matter what. Remember that, ok?"

Sheldon didn't nod. "But what if-"

"Shhh," Amy stopped him. "Nobel or no Nobel, I will always love you." She kissed his cheek softly, leaving him no room for argument.

Sheldon turned in her arms, the motion pushing her so she was now laying on her back. He leaned on one of his elbows, looking down on her. "I love you too."

Amy reached out to cup his cheek. He immediately burrowed into her hand. "We're going to figure this out. But not right now. I just want you to shut your mind off tonight, Sheldon. Rest."

He nodded.

Amy had expected him to insist she move from his side of the bed, but instead, he simply fell down into her embrace again. Using her chest like a pillow and curling into her comforting warmth, Amy couldn't say no to him. Sheldon was never one to willingly initiate cuddling often. The only time he did was after coitus. So, if he wanted to be held by her, to be the little spoon, then Amy would happily give in to his wishes.

Eventually, Sheldon fell asleep, but his brow remained furrowed, and his muscles still tense. Amy had calmed the storm for the night, but this was only the beginning. She knew Sheldon was going to take this hard and that the road ahead of them was bumpy. But they were married now, surely they could get through it together.

Amy just hoped they had enough tea to get them through it.

* * *

**_A/N: Thank you so much for reading your support means the world to me!_**


End file.
